


Rona, Eroeh and Sky's RP Madness

by EroehAurelia, RonaLightfoot, TheOneUntitled



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action/Adventure, Almost Sex, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Awkward Flirting, Comedy, Drunken Flirting, Dumb As Fuck, F/M, Fantasy, Flirting, Funny, Romantic Comedy, Sex, Silly, Sometimes Sad, Stupid As Shit, Thurp - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:48:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 125,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22456003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EroehAurelia/pseuds/EroehAurelia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonaLightfoot/pseuds/RonaLightfoot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOneUntitled/pseuds/TheOneUntitled
Summary: This is a Role-Playing doc that is both a labor of love and absolute, beautiful garbage. It is not meant to be taken seriously and is merely a silly, non-canonical work of fiction involving several characters that belong to myself (Rona) and my friends (Eroeh, Sky/AngelAwakened, [more to be added probably]).We hope you enjoy this absolute shit show of comedy, sex and silliness. And please leave comments! We love to read them!
Relationships: EroehxBishop, RonaxCasavir, SoninaxKaidan
Kudos: 9





	1. Shortstack Shenanigans

**Setting** **: Cheydinhal Bridge Inn, Cyrodiil**

Rona sang jubilantly with her guildmates in the Cheydinhal Bridge Inn. They’d spent the entire day clearing out a troll’s nest for one of the local farmers and they decided to pay a visit to their favorite inn and share their voices with the patrons. They had a small audience, a Khajiit pair off in the corner enjoying their dinner together, a rugged Imperial man in full platemail sitting alone at a table drinking a tankard of ale and a few elves taking up space at some of the other tables. One of those elves Rona noticed, was a young woman with beautiful, flowing white hair sitting nearby at the bar. Not one of the regulars, she noted. She really wanted to know how she kept her hair so long and luxurious looking.

When the girls finished their songs for the evening, they all made to stumble out of the bar and head back for a good night’s rest. Rona was the last to leave, as she quickly scrambled about collecting her quiver and bow, and went for the door- when the Imperial knight stepped in front of her, stopping her from leaving. She looked up at him, being shorter than everyone she knew, she was used to staring up at people. He was quite tall and fairly handsome with short brown hair and a light patch of hair on his chin. He gave her a roguish grin and said, “That was lovely, little elf. I couldn’t take my eyes from you all night. Perhaps I could interest you in an evening alone with me? I have a room we can find some privacy in.”

Rona raised her brows at the man. She was very used to men vying for her affections, and wondered if this was another suitor who knew about her father’s position in the Elder Council and the Arcane University, or if it was just some lech. She assumed the latter, since her suitors usually knew better than to try and take her into their beds the first moment they met.

She backed away and politely said, “No thank you, I’ve got a very early morning tomorrow, and need to catch up with my guildmates, excuse me.” She side-stepped around the Imperial, but he blocked her path again, putting an arm out against the wall in front of her.

He leaned in, getting his face rather close to hers. She could smell the ale on his breath as he caressed her now blushing cheek, and attempted to say sensually, “I could give you the night of your life, beautiful. Come on, let me take you to the heavens and back again. I can see you want it, blushing like you are.”

Rona was getting irritated, smacking his hand away and said more firmly, “I said _NO_. Now, _excuse me_.”

The young woman who’d been nearby let out an annoyed sigh and slowly turned around on her barstool, her gold bangles jingling together softly as she pulled her waist-length white curls into a high tail behind her head. “Did you not hear her the first time, jackass? The lady said no.” She warned, downing the last of the brandy in her glass and sucking sharply through her teeth.

“Stay out of it, wench. Nobody asked you.” The Imperial spat back with a low growl, turning his attention towards the Altmer once more. Eroeh could see that the girl just wanted to get the creep out of her way more than anything in that moment. She’d overheard her and her friends talking about being with the Fighters Guild, and figured the _last_ thing they’d want was to start a fight and be banned from the tavern closest to home.

“Fair enough, but _she-_ ” Eroeh pointed to the nervous elf pinned under him against the wall, “has already said **no**. Now, you have two options here _pal..._ ” she explained, holding out her hands and weighing them appropriately. “You can either let the lady go and end the night with a little dignity, or...” she counted with a mischievous crooked smirk that drew into her cheek with a dimple, “you can keep being a creep, and get your ass kicked in front of everyone left in this tavern.”

The Imperial man snorted, laughing at the prospect that the midget of an elfling would be any sort of threat to him. “Ha! By who? I don’t see any strong lads about hangin on your arm. What are you gonna do, kick me in the shins and threaten to tell my mother?” he cackled, still standing securely in the doorway.

“You mind?” Eroeh asked the innkeeper behind the bar, her pale green-hazel eyes not once leaving the Imperials flushed face. “By all means, you’d be doing me a favor,” the woman chuckled as she wiped out a set of glasses. “Pour me a double and we’ll call it good,” she giggled, “This’ll be fun.”

She smirked, quickly sliding her glass over the countertop before walking across the tavern, her gaze and the confident sway of her hips much like a big cat stalking its unsuspecting prey.

Eroeh deftly moved across the tavern, the only noise she made being the soft clicking of her heeled thigh-high boots as they made contact with the smooth hardwood floor. The Imperial was too busy fondling a lock of Rona’s strawberry blonde hair and groaning lewd propositions in her ear to notice her as she approached him.

She tapped his shoulder with one finger to get his attention, and when he turned abruptly to snap at the interruption, he caught a small fist at lightning speed right in the adam’s apple. As he gagged and sputtered, he caught another hit, namely Eroeh’s knee connecting with his scrotum through his cuirass faulds, and started coughing and retching. When he doubled over in pain, the petite elfling swiftly spun around, throwing a bent arm behind her and catching him in the back of the head with her elbow, knocking him out cold as he fell to the floor.

“I _did_ try to warn you,” she sighed. “Why do they never listen?” Eroeh wondered aloud, offering her hand to the mans would-have-been victim. “You okay?” She asked as she shook the girl’s hand, a warm, friendly smile replacing the mischievous smirk she’d had just moments before.

“Wow,” Rona said staring at her savior, absolutely stunned. A wide smile sprawled across her face as they shook hands, “Thank you so much. I swear, I’m not usually so timid in those situations, but the last thing I need is to get myself or my Guild in trouble picking fights at our favorite tavern. Can I get you something to drink?”

The proprietor and bartender for the evening, Marie Ancharia, set a pair of glasses onto the counter, filling one with a double shot of Colovian Brandy and the second with Alto Wine and she said loudly, “Already got your drinks here ladies, on the house.”

Rona looked down at the still groaning Imperial at her feet, as he clutched his stomach and his crotch and gave him an ‘accidental’ kick in the head as she stepped over him and went over to the bar, taking a seat at one of the stools. Marie looked seriously at her and said, “You alright Rona? I was about to call for the town guard before this kind young lady stepped in.”

“I’m definitely fine now,” she said still grinning.

Eroeh hopped up and spun around happily on her barstool, a smile on her face as she downed her freshly poured Brandy. She proudly flexed and wiggled the fingers of her right hand as she healed her split knuckles.

“Serves him right, stupid creep.” She snickered as the faint golden glow of her healing magic enveloped her hand. She thought back to her own encounters with unwelcome advances and scowled, before shaking the memory from her mind.

“So do you have to deal with guys like that often?” she asked the petite strawberry blonde at the bar next to her.

Rona shrugged, sipping at her glass of wine and said, “You have no idea. Every other week there seems to be a new suitor knocking at my door, asking for my hand in marriage. It’s always fun chasing them off the Guild property,” she laughed, “especially when my orc friend sets his huskies on them, or my breton friend Roxie chases them off with her battleaxe... By the way, I don’t think we were properly introduced, I’m Rona Lightfoot.”

“Eroeh Whitepaw’s the name, mischief and mayhem is the game.” The little half-Bosmer Breton giggled with a wink while Rona laughed at her spunky reply. “And oooh boy, **_‘Suitors’_** _?_ ” she asked incredulously, “Where I come from we just call those types _horndogs_ ,” she laughed, the soft chime of her voice filling the quiet tavern.

“Hm, if only they were just horndogs,” Rona smirked, taking another swig of her wine, “They usually want more than that from me, but in this case it looks like he really _did_ just want me to warm his bed tonight...” she trailed off.

“I guess you just can’t get away from em though…” Eroeh sighed. “I swear, no matter where you go there’s always _somebody_ who can’t take a hint!” she giggled, rolling her eyes as she watched the crumpled Imperial crawl across the floor and out the doors of the inn, haphazardly chucking a toothpick at him as he cleared the threshold. “And _STAY OUT!_ ” she cackled, taking another satisfied gulp of Brandy. “Ahhh, good times,” Eroeh smiled, eyeing her freshly healed knuckles and wiping the dried blood on the napkin tucked into the waistband of her dress. “Anyways, it’s time for me to sing for my supper, and I’m sure your friends are wondering what’s become of you… or _him_ ,” she grinned, reaching behind her barstool after her Juniper wood lute. Turning the sabre cat tooth pegs, she adjusted its tuning to her liking and strummed out a little test tune with a satisfied smile.

Rona’s eyes sparkled at the site of the beautiful lute. “You’re a bard?” She asked quickly.

Eroeh beamed back at the girl, lovingly thumbing the polished grey wood. “Yep, or at least I am when I’m in town and need to crash for the night. Ranger by day, Bard by night, occasional Tomb Raider- ** _I MEAN_** Treasure Hunter,” she corrected awkwardly.

“Most of the time I just camp out in the woods, but since there’s been so much going on lately, I figured it’d be better to stick to the Inns for now.” she chuckled, patting the wood gently with the palm of her hand.

Rona was liking this woman more and more by the second. They seemed to have enough in common, both enjoying singing, ranging and even dungeon crawling. “Your lute is absolutely beautiful, may I ask where you got it?”

“Oh, this old thing?” Eroeh asked with a smile, eyeing the varying shades of grey in the smooth wood. “It used to be my mother’s. My grandfather made it for her, using stuff he found in the Reach, near where she was born. That place is just overrun with Juniper trees, Silver mines, and Sabrecats,” she chuckled, thinking of her mother’s homeland fondly.

“Skyrim, despite all of its flaws, can be a very beautiful place,” the little elfling explained with a sigh, missing home. “Once the roads clear up I’ll be heading back up that way- and who knows what I might get into once I get back there,” she finished with a soft smile.

“Skyrim? Really? I was going to guess Valenwood- you're Bosmer right?” Rona chuckled, “I was born in Skyrim myself, and my Ata, er my father, he’s working out that way right now, up at the College of Winterhold, holding lectures for the students,” Rona paused for a moment thinking of her father and missing him. It’d been at least six months since he made the trip out that way to teach and she’d really wanted to visit with him. She said, “Hey… I’ve been really meaning to head out that way, to see my ata. You wouldn’t mind a little company on your trip back would you?”

Rona knew she could certainly use the company. It was always easier traveling in a group, especially when bandits and lecherous men took one look at her thinking she was an easy target for whatever awful things they had in mind for her. Seeing this woman’s impressive skills with just her physical prowess alone left her wondering just how well she fared in battle and on her bow.

“Born and raised in Valenwood, actually. My mother met my father while travelling around and just decided to settle down there with him. After they died I pulled up my roots and moved up to Skyrim. It’s my mother’s birthplace, so I figured why not, right? Certainly less of the _Dominion_ to have to deal with up that way…” she grumbled. 

“We could all definitely use less of the Thalmor, definitely,” Rona agreed fervently.

“No kidding. But yeah, it’d be nice to have a bit of company for once. Travelling around solo gets pretty boring after a little while.” she smiled softly. “So… you want to go to _Winterhold_ , eh? I hope you have something warmer than that _dress_ to wear, cause you’re gonna be freezing your ass off otherwise,” she chuckled. “If not, I think I have a spare cloak in Riverwood at my cousin’s house. One of the perks of keeping stashes everywhere!” She laughed.

Rona looked down at her favorite red dress and laughed a little, “Hey now, this is enchanted and a lot tougher than it looks. My trusty Brigida day dress, you know. Easy to move in, oh and no worries, I have a warm fur cloak for when I used to go see my mother up in Falkreath, before she passed on a few years back.”

“I hope its good and thick, cause Winterhold is a hell of a lot colder than Falkreath. So, when do you think you’ll you be ready to head out?” She asked, placing her hand flatly over the rosette of her lute.

“I could definitely be ready tomorrow morning if you’d like. Get a good night’s rest and head out, because I’ll admit, I’m pretty beat after working all day and drinking this evening. But I can meet you back here if you’d like,” she flashed a warm smile at Eroeh and thought, _We are going to have a ton of fun together._ She was also itching to sing with the woman and thought about bringing her flute and violin. “So, what do you say? Bright and early tomorrow?”

Eroeh was positively beaming. As much hassle as travelling in a party might have been in the past, she really was excited to not be on her own again. “Bright and early works just fine for me, I can assure you I’ll be here. I’ll need to make a stop in Riverwood once we get into Skyrim though, just to drop off a few things at my cousin’s. Then we can just take the main road out of there for the rest of the trip,” she explained almost giddily. “But otherwise I don’t really have anywhere I have to be. Free spirit and all that nonsense, I just kind of go wherever the wind takes me,” she smiled.

“To tomorrow then-” she said, holding up her glass in toast to their new partnership.

“Perfect!” Rona beamed at her clanking her glass with Eroeh’s. She gulped down the rest of her drink and quickly ran out the door, looking to make her preparations for the next day and inform her Guildmates of her sudden leave. She slept in the Guild quarters that evening, looking to avoid her Argonian landlord’s terrible, fishy cooking, like usual. She laid back in her bed after packing all her equipment and weapons into her travel pack, looking forward to the adventure she’d be having with her new comrade.

Eroeh finished out the night performing and livening up the quiet tavern, happy to have earned her night’s stay and then some. She went to bed that night with a smile on her face, eager to begin her journey back home to Skyrim. The next morning Eroeh made her way down to the main room of the inn, getting herself some much needed breakfast for the trip out and purchasing a weeks worth of hardier food for the way up. As she was scarfing down the last too-large bite of her sweetbread, she was alerted by the sound of the inn’s doors opening, and the sight of her new companion, packed and ready in the doorway. “Hey!” she managed around the mouthful of bread before swallowing hard. “Ready to get going? I got some snacks and stuff for the trip!” she exclaimed, grinning like an idiot.

Rona stood in the doorway of the local inn, fully equipped with her dual silver shortswords, her bow and arrows and her simple steel dagger, an old memento from her mother. She also had her flute packed up and held her old violin in hand, figuring that if they already had a lute they could mix it up and add another set of strings for any barding they might do together.

She could hardly keep herself from grinning, biting into an apple nearly as red as her dress, and practically shouted, “Sounds yummy! Ready whenever you are!” She waved a hand motioning for her new companion to join her.

The two headed out the front gates and Rona spoke with the local carriage driver, an older Breton fellow by the name of Theo that she’d known for years from all the time she came and went on her contracts with her Guildmates to the local holds all over Cyrodiil. She went ahead and paid for their trip up to Helgen and threw her pack into the corner of the bench and hopped up, taking a seat.

She held the violin up and said, “What do you think? Figured since you were already on lute I could play violin, I have my flute too for any solo songs you want to sing and need a flutist to back you up.”

Eroeh _ooh’d_ and _ahh’d_ at the violin, admiring the shape and coloring of the polished wood. “Works for me!” she chirped. “With our combined good looks, a bit of music, and a lot of booze, we shouldn’t have to pay for any lodging out of pocket!” she laughed. Eroeh then tossed her own travel pack, complete with bedroll, lute, and cast iron pan into the back of the carriage, throwing up a leg and climbing in after her. Once she was safely in the back of the cart, she tapped the carriage driver on the shoulder and gave him the ok to head out before sitting and adjusting her armor.

Climbing up into the tall cart had pulled her shirt up, so she gave it a sharp yank downwards before shoving her hand into the front and scooping her boobs back up into place. With a final roll of her shoulders and a lazy stretch, she propped herself up on the bench and admired the scenery as the town slowly rolled out of view behind them.

Rona started burning red at the sight of Eroeh ‘adjusting’ herself so nonchalantly in front of her.

Looking over, Eroeh noticed the particularly bright shade of snowberry red her companion was turning, and looked down at her shirt, processing what she’d just done. “Sorry, force of habit. Haven't travelled with anyone in a long while. I guess I need to think a bit more before I act now, huh?” she chuckled. “These things just get so **_frustrating_** sometimes, ya know? But I guess this is our equivalent to whenever guys need to fix their _balls_.” she laughed, eyeing the carriage driver as he shook his head at her statement. “Equally frustrating, and just as un-sexy.” she smiled, her cheeks pinkening in turn at her own embarrassment.

Rona chuckled at her remarks and shrugged it off, choosing to lead their conversation to safer territories. She started telling her all about herself, how she’s half-Altmer, half-Nord, born in Skyrim but lived in Cyrodiil with her father since she was three years old. She told her all about her troubles trying to train as a mage in the Mage’s Guild and how she finally gave up and ran off to the Fighter’s Guild where she was much more at home taking up the bow and the sword there.

Eroeh shared in return her details of early raising in Valenwood, up to the death of her parents at the hands of the Dominion, and how she’d moved up to Skyrim to start her own life. She told her about her dealings with bandits and Daedra, mages and thieves _(blissfully omitting her involvement with the guild)_ and how she’d managed over the past few years to somehow become a Thane of both the Rift and Falkreath Hold.


	2. Running Into A Ranger

**Setting: Helgen**

As they neared Helgen, Eroeh rambled on about all the sights she would show her, like all the little known nooks and crannies she’d discovered on her travels through the province over the last decade. She was going on emphatically about all the best spots to watch the sunsets and auroras when the town came into sight.

Rona giggled with Eroeh, musing to herself just what kinds of sights, nooks and crannies she was going to be shown in the vast, hardy landscape that was Skyrim. She’d only ever visited Falkreath when she came to see her mother, as infrequent as that was and couldn’t remember much of her childhood there before she was swept away to Cyrodiil. She was really looking forward to seeing more of the land of her birth.

The pair continued to chatter away like old friends, going over all the songs they both knew when the carriage came to an abrupt stop just outside the city of Helgen. They both looked up to see why their journey had been suddenly halted and saw several carriages with captive Stormcloak soldiers being led through the city gates. Rona recognized the familiar armor of the Imperial legionnaires on the men stationed outside the hold and the ones driving the carriages. She looked ahead into the gates and saw a certain Thalmor bitch she was absolutely not interested in seeing any time soon.

She groaned at the sight of Thalmor Justiciar Elenwen who was on horseback speaking with a high ranking officer in the Imperial legion. Rona quickly ducked down in the carriage and wailed under her breath, “ _Nooo_ …”

Theo glanced back and said, “Looks like we’re here ladies. With whatever’s going on in there though I doubt I can go any further, you two alright with walking the rest of the way?”

“Yeah we should be just fine from here. Thanks for the ride.” Eroeh said absentmindedly as she looked over the soldiers being paraded through the square. “Oh no… Ralof, what have you gotten yourself mixed up with…” she sighed, eyeing the big blond, blue eyed Nord from her adopted hometown of Riverwood.

Looking over she noticed Rona had sunk down to the floor of the carriage and was doing her best to stay out of sight. “Rona? What are you doing, we need to get moving?” she asked, perplexed at the little Altmer's suddenly shifty behavior.

Rona groaned again and whispered, “There are some Thalmor up the road and I am _really_ not interested in being seen by any of them…”

She started shuffling through her bag and yanked out her fluffy white fur-trimmed cloak and quickly wrapped it around herself and drew the hood up to conceal her face. She pulled her travel pack onto her back and hopped out of the carriage and stood off to the side of Eroeh, trying to stay out of the Thalmor’s line of sight, although her new Bosmer friend, being barely a few inches taller than her did not help to conceal her any more at all.

Eroeh took another look towards the Justiciars up the dirt path, noting the woman amongst them arguing with someone of rank from the Legion. Concentrating hard for a moment, she managed to pick up the faintest hints of their conversation before the woman groaned in frustration and turned her horse around, ending whatever disagreement they were having. “I don’t really know what's going on, but I think I heard the old military guy talking about the Old Bear. I think they might have Ulfric himself up there…” she muttered softly to her poorly hidden companion as they cleared the road and made their way towards the outskirts of the town.

“We need supplies, Rona. Should we wait out whatever they're doing up there and get restocked later tonight, or just hunt nearby and hope we catch something?” she asked, adjusting her own travel pack to help cover the Altmer as much as she could. “I don’t want to tangle with the Dominion any more than you do, but if we lay low we might be able to- ** _OH SHIT_** _she's coming this way!”_ she stammered awkwardly as the scowling Justiciar and her accompanying dickweeds rode in their direction.

Rona made a pathetic attempt to duck behind Eroeh as Elenwen immediately spotted her and strode up the path towards them, still on horseback. She looked down from her position on the steed, an ugly grin curling along her nasty thin lips as she snidely said, “Well if it isn’t Serlas Thoraminh’s _little_ girl,” she put all the emphasis on the word, “What brings you to Skyrim Miss Thoraminh?”

Rona frowned inwardly and sucked it up putting on her phoniest of smiles and looked way up at her least favorite person on all of Nirn. “Just making my way to the College to visit Ata. How are you Justiciar Elenwen?” She said it all through grit teeth, trying her damndest to maintain the smile on her face.

The woman’s smirk got a little wider when she said, “I’ll have you know it’s _Ambassador_ now and I’m just here overseeing the execution of the rebel faction’s leader. Can you believe it?” She looked off at the cart hauling away four individual Nord men, one of whom Rona noticed was not only bound but gagged as well. “General Tullius actually managed to catch that fetid creature, Ulfric Stormcloak,” she turned back to Rona, eyeing her almost predatorily, “I do hope you’ll be staying for the festivities, he and the rest of those mongrels will be promptly executed in the town square, hah!” She gave a sharp laugh and to Rona’s relief she was called away by one of her own officers. Elenwen looked back for a moment and said, “Be sure to give my regards to Serlas when you see him, oh and one more thing,” she suddenly switched to Aldmeris, “(You should know better than to keep yourself in the company of a cannibal, but so it is with you filthy half-breeds.)”

The high-elf trot away and Rona threw her head back, sighing loudly and rolling her eyes, then she glanced over at her traveling companion and said, “Sorry about that… uh… old family… acquaintance.”

Eroeh simply chuckled and shook her head, speaking briefly in Aldmeris herself. “(Can you believe the nerve of that bitch?)” she laughed. “(Like I'm not going to know the mother tongue- I was _raised_ in a Dominion-run province to a natural-born Bosmer for fucks sake!)” she laughed, shrugging and playfully clapping Rona on the shoulder. Rona raised her brows in surprise, but smiled all the same. “I know enough of a few other languages I won’t go into as well, but she doesn't need to know that now, does she?” she said, switching back to common with a sly wink.

“Well it’s good that you know Aldmeris,” she said with a mischievous smirk, “all the better to know whether they’re about to try and gut you or not.”

“Too true. Anyhow, I guess there's no point in trying to hide from them now that they know we're here. I wanna see what's going on anyways, I know one of the guys on that cart with Ulfric,” she muttered quickly as she adjusted her pack on her shoulders and made her way up the road.

The two of them hurried along through the town, keeping their distance from the carriages ahead as well as all the serious looking Imperial soldiers. They made their way towards the Inn but stopped a moment to look back in the town square where the prisoners were being let down from the carts and over towards a chopping block centered in front of a turret.

A priest of Arkay was giving their last rites and Rona cringed the minute one of the soldiers stepped forward and insisted they simply get on with it. “Are public executions common in Skyrim? This is sooo…” She quickly turned away as the headsman brought his axe down on the first prisoner. She was used to killing bandits and enemies with her work as a mercenary, but something like this always sat so wrong with her.

“Yeah, unfortunately. With the Civil War going on, both sides are constantly trying to make an example of each other. I’m not too fond of these either to be honest, but my **_friend_** is down there waiting for his turn on the block, and I’d hate for him to die without at least one person who cares about him present,” Eroeh explained, her face crestfallen. As if by magic the blond Nord turned his head and met her eyes, giving her a playful smile, a wink, and a nod in thanks. “Typical Ralof. Always the flirt,” she chuckled softly, waving nervously in his direction. She fidgeted as she leaned against the porch railing, clicking her nails together and biting at her lower lip anxiously. “Oh Ralof, why’d you have to mix yourself up in all of this… This is gonna be a really awkward trip home…” she sighed, thinking of how in the hell she was going to explain this to Gerdur, Hod, and little Frodnar.

Rona turned back and watched as a very large Nord man with medium length, straw blond hair was called forward next. He was a bit disproportionate looking with rippling biceps and pectorals on his upper body, but scrawny legs below. She also noted that he had an impressively large chin that curved together right in the middle.

Eroeh couldn’t help but snicker a bit at the sight of him, and turned towards Rona with a smile, covering her mouth with her hand. “Is it just me or does that guy’s chin look like a pair of butt cheeks?” she giggled. “Also, do you see the linen stuffed in his boots? How does he keep himself upright, he’s got _chicken_ legs!” she cackled quietly.

Rona couldn’t help but snicker at her friend’s remark, even though it was clearly a very inappropriate time for it. 

“The Nord with the mutton chops!” A Legion soldier called, pointing directly at him. He looked absolutely mortified and they had to force him forward because it seemed his knees were about to buckle under his own upper body weight. Everyone paused a moment, however, as a strange guttural sound echoed off the walls of the mountains and into the hold. Rona, Eroeh and everyone looked up at the sky, searching for the source of the noise. When it dissipated however the Legion soldier uttered more firmly, “ _I said_ next prisoner!”

They heard a pathetic light whimper come from the burly Nord man as he was forced to move and pushed down against the bloodied headsmen block. They all watched as the headsman brought his axe up and then Rona noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She looked up and felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of the thing.

An enormous dragon with scales as black as the Void and eyes that burned like the fires of Oblivion crashed down onto the turret, forcing the ground around them to rumble and tossed plenty of people off their feet. Rona gripped at Eroeh’s arm to steady herself and realized she was shaking like a leaf, unable to vocalize her thoughts out of sheer terror.

“What in the FUCK?” Eroeh gasped, trembling herself as the monster landed. “Shit, get to the tower!” She shrieked as she grabbed Rona by the arm and pulled her from the wooden porch, a gout of fire following closely after their escape. “Ralof!” Eroeh shouted, “Hold the door!”

The burly Nord turned around, watching in fear as his miniscule friend and another petite female bogged down with supplies ran like Molag Bal himself was nipping at their heels. “C’mon, hurry it up, Eroeh!” He yelled across the square. As the pair made it into the tower he quickly slammed the door shut behind them, letting out a deep breath of relief and turned towards none other than Ulfric Stormcloak himself. "Jarl Ulfric! What is that thing? Could the legends be true?" he asked, placing a reassuring hand on Eroeh’s shoulder as she doubled over and groaned. "Legends don't burn down villages. We need to move. Now!" the Old Bear responded, looking up the spiraling tower as he heard the dragon bellowing outside.

"Let's go, ladies! With me, up the tower we go!" Ralof ordered quickly, offering Eroeh a hand as he led them up the crumbling stairs. Her ears picked up a sound outside the stone wall, and set her on high alert. “Wait!” Eroeh yelled, pulling Ralof backwards just in time before the dragon’s black maw came bursting in through the wall, frying a nearby soldier before flying away again. Before anyone could say anything, the chicken legged Mr. Muttonchops roughly broke through them, taking a quick and messy dive out the hole down into the nearby home. “Wow, rude much?” Eroeh guffawed, before noticing the Nord limping across the wooden floor down below. “That jackass Gustav has the right idea, though. You need to jump, girls! I’ll catch up to you, I promise. Go go go!” he hollered, looking at the burning town around them. 

Rona looked right at Eroeh and cried, “Hang on to my waist!” They wrapped arms around each other and she shouted, “JUMP!” They leapt off the overhang and Rona used a spell to slow their fall a bit so they could land softly on the wood floors below then ran forward and did it once more, leaping down into a hole in the ceiling. They came out of the ruined home and ran towards an Imperial Nord soldier who was hurrying a young boy away from the dragon as it crashed down on the path in front of them all and roared fire in their direction. 

They ducked out of the way just in time, although Rona’s dress was burning on the edges and she smacked the flames out and tried to catch her breath. She looked up at the skies as it rained fireballs down on them and started looking around for some way out as the dragon took off again and continued to spray flames at the Legionnaires who were attempting to fight back with their bows and arrows.

“Hadvar?? What’s going on?” Eroeh managed to squawk at the Imperial soldier once she recognized him.

“ _Eroeh_? What are you doing here, you need to get out of here now!” he barked, back, his face slightly flushed as he met Eroeh’s gaze.

“Don’t you think we **_know_** that already? We’re trying to find a way out of here, but all the exits we’ve seen so far are _destroyed_!” Eroeh snapped, her large hazel eyes wide as she began panicking.

“Follow me, I’ll get you guys out of here. C’mon!” he ordered, waving an arm and leading the pair towards the main keep where they were met by Ralof crossing the yard. “Ralof, you damned traitor!” Hadvar shouted.

“We’re escaping Hadvar, you’re not stopping us this time!” Ralof argued, stalking across the yard to one of the keeps large wooden doors. Before either of them could say anything more, Gustav, the man with the mutton chops, butt chin, and chicken legs came barging past them, wrists still bound and bolted into the keep, surprisingly not toppling over from the weight of his torso.

“Well while you guys are busy bickering, we’re going in. Feel free to join us and not die!” Eroeh snapped, taking Rona’s hand and leading her into the keep.

They ran inside, with the two still bickering men following close at their heels and both girls slammed the door shut and threw a heavy bookcase in front of the door. They felt the keep rumble and shudder as the dragon continued its rampage outside.

Rona looked over and saw Mr. Muttonchops cowering in a corner and looking a little beat up from the attack outside. She took pity on the man and went over to him, kneeling beside him and asked, “Are you alright? I have healing magic, I can take care of your wounds.”

The fear on his face melted somewhat and he got an all to familiar smirk pulling at his lips, one Rona recognized from the many men that came calling at her door. He said in a rumbling deep voice with a thick Nordic accent, “Of course beautiful. You can put your hands on me any time you want.” He flashed her what she assumed was his attempt at a charming smile, and displayed some of his yellowed teeth. She glared at him, giving him a look of warning and made her hands go alight with healing magic.

He gave a nervous chuckle and held his arms out allowing Rona to heal up his wounds. She pulled her dagger out and cut his bindings off freeing him. He remained cowering in the corner however as she stood up and looked over at the two men still arguing in the middle of the room and started to feel more irritated than scared at that point.

“How could you betray the empire like that, Ralof? Betray _Skyrim_? You know Ulfric is only out for power, he doesn't care about **_any_** of you!” Hadvar groaned, frustrated that his childhood friend would be found on the other side of the war.

“What in Talos’ name do you mean? _BETRAY_ **_SKYRIM-_** You're the one betraying your people to fight alongside the damned Dominion!” Ralof spat back, angry at the entire situation.

“ **BOYS**!” Eroeh yelled, breaking them up. “Both of you are being _stupid_ right now. Is this really the time or place for you to be arguing over this shit? There's a fucking _DRAGON_ outside for gods sake, and you two are having a pissing match over whose side of the **_war_** is right??” she growled irritably. “What you _should_ be doing is- helping us find a way- out of here- before the keep collapses and we- end up oversized **_lizard_** food!” she raged, chucking an empty tankard and several wooden bowls from a nearby shelf at the bickering Nords.

After glaring at the raging elfling for a moment, the pair looked to each other and begrudgingly nodded, realizing Eroeh was right. This wasn't the time or place, and all they were doing was making things worse. “Alright,” Hadvar spoke first, “I'll lead the way.”

Rona armed herself with her duel blades, preparing herself for anything they would have to face further in the keep. She fell in step beside Eroeh and laughed nervously, “So you know these two... Any chance you know Muttonchops back there too?” She thumbed back at the nervous Nord dressed in Stormcloak armor, who’d started to steadily follow behind the four of them.

“Not a chance, Rona. I dunno _who_ the fuck that guy is. But one thing I _do_ know, is that he needs to work on those skinny ass _chicken legs_ ,” Eroeh scoffed, deftly unsheathing and spinning the twin stalhrim daggers at her hips. “I’ve got your back, Hadvar,” she assured the brunette with the intense, mismatched brown and blue eyes. Ralof had fallen into step behind Rona, unsure about having his failure of a soldier so close to her backside in such close quarters. “I know Hadvar and Ralof from staying in Riverwood with my cousin. Ralof’s sister owns the mill, and Hadvar’s uncle is the town blacksmith.” She explained. “Stupid as they may be acting right now, they’re both good people, Rona. I’ve known em both long enough to know that much,” she finished with a sigh.

After begrudgingly clearing through a few rooms filled with soldiers from both sides of the conflict, with the boy’s bickering and Muttonchop’s cowardice becoming almost completely unbearable to be around, they passed through one chamber in particular and the boy’s had managed to get ahead of them. Eroeh called Rona over to a small gap behind a shelf, having noticed a door hidden behind it. “Oi Rona, over here!” she whispered excitedly. “C’mon let’s go this way!” she said, shoving the shelf aside with a strained grunt and an excited smile.

Rona turned towards her friend, feeling eager to escape the tunnels and get away from their current company as quickly as possible. She followed Eroeh into a narrow cavern, fitting their small sizes perfectly so the men couldn’t squeeze in even if they wanted to. Muttonchops definitely couldn’t keep chasing her ass around either and she was more than thrilled about that.

The tunnel looked as if it hadn’t been used in quite some time, its walls coated in thin wisps of cobwebs and layers of undisturbed dust. “C’mon, this should lead out of here.” she said all too confidently. “Place could use a little TLC if you ask me,” she giggled, swiping her bare finger across one of the rough bricks, pulling up a large clump of dust.

Rona looked around at the winding tunnel and then at the back of her friend feeling more curious than ever, “So… you really seem to know your way around here. You’ve been here before?”

“Well….not necessarily here, but I spotted a way out and figured we could both make use of it.” Eroeh replied awkwardly. “Have you ever come across a book called Shadowmarks?” She asked. “It’s full of all these symbols and stuff that thieves use, and explains what they all mean. It comes in really handy when you’re constantly creeping about or need a quick getaway.” she chuckled. “Most Thieves will carve out a mark when they find a way out of places, or hidden caches of goodies. Some even serve as warnings of danger up ahead. There was one on the side of the bookcase that marked it as an escape route so I figured hey, what the hell… they wouldn’t leave the mark without reason, right?” she smiled nervously as she navigated the dark passageway with her small candlelight spell playfully circling about her head.

Rona raised a brow at Eroeh’s back, feeling a little suspicious that she was hiding something but continued to follow her along anyhow, happy enough that the Bosmer knew a way out of there. The tunnel shook and rumbled around them and they heard the low roar of the dragon again. They pressed their arms out against the walls, steadying themselves with each new tremor and pressed onward. They reached the end of the tunnel and came up to a large piece of driftwood that had been pressed against the opening. Several beams of light shone through the wood, indicating that they’d reached an exit. 

The two looked at each other, giving one another a reassuring nod and then pushed against the driftwood with all the strength in their tiny bodies. With a few loud creaks the wood came loose and fell away. They stepped warily into the forest clearing, trying to get their bearings as their eyes adjusted to the light. 

“I don’t hear the dragon,” Rona said tentatively, “But where are we? Any idea where to go from here?”

Looking around, Eroeh could see Bleak Falls Barrow off in the distance, and smiled wide. “I know exactly where to go! C’mon, follow me!” she exclaimed, cutting through the patch of woods they’d emerged in and finding the main road. As they made their way north towards Riverwood, they caught sight of the dragon one last time flying overhead, roaring into the sky and sending the pair into a panicked dash back into the trees. “FUCK!! _RUUUUUUUUN!!!_ ” Eroeh exclaimed, trucking it through the forest as fast as her tiny legs would carry her.

Rona felt all the hairs on her neck standing on end as her fear gripped her once more and she bolted through the trees, tossing off her travel pack, throwing the weight off so she could sprint even faster. She made it twenty paces through the trees when she dared to look back and in that moment plowed right over something warm and furry making her tumble across the ground. She rolled violently down a hill and smashed into a tree back first and rubbed the back of her head groaning, “Oooowwww…”

Eroeh followed closely after, tripping over a tree root in panic and flailing as her feet betrayed her by tangling around themselves as she clumsily flew downhill… right into the midsection of another person. Eroeh landed with a squeak as her buffer grunted in collision with the ground. “Ahh, my fucking head.” she hissed. “What the hell is in your jacket, a bunch of rocks?” She groaned as she rubbed her head, finally looking up to meet the eyes of her disgruntled landing pad. “FUCK! That hurt you wench! Watch where you’re going!” the man growled, rubbing the back of his head. _Oh shit he’s hot…_ Eroeh thought as her face reddened, having finally looked up to see who she’d hit. “Sorry!” she squeaked as her voice betrayed her every bit as badly as her feet had.

Rona started shouting in panic and held her dagger out as a wolf wandered up much too close for comfort, “Get back!” She swiped her blade at the russet wolf and he stepped back, giving a low whine. She paused, realizing that it wasn’t trying to attack her. Rona called up to her friend, “Eroeh! Are you alright!? Um… little help over here if you’re still walking please!”

“Ummm… I’m okay!” she called back. “Pretty sure my legs still work...” she chuckled nervously as she carefully crawled off of the man beneath her. “I’m so sorry, we weren’t paying attention to where we were running! There was a dragon, and soldiers, and _we’re just trying to get to Riverwood in one piece!_ ” she finished way too quickly, stammering and tripping all over her words. The man then whistled for his wolf and the large russet canine bounded over, tongue lolling out with a dopey grin. Eroeh gasped at the sight of him. “ _Hello **handsome!**_ ” she cooed, reaching out and scritching the wolf under the chin all too casually for the man’s liking. “Aren’t you just the handsomest boy ever!” she giggled as the wolf flopped sideways, getting the belly rub of a lifetime.

Rona watched as her Bosmer friend went about playfully rubbing the belly of the apparently friendly wolf. She pushed herself up, sheathed her blade, dusted herself off and wandered a short ways back, grabbing her travel pack. She hurried back over to Eroeh and a very gruff looking ranger. She plopped down next to the wolf and her friend and started apologetically rubbing the happy wolf’s belly saying, “I’m so sorry I tripped over you!” She smiled, “He’s very sweet,” she looked up at the still scowling ranger who now had his bow stowed away and his arms crossed and she said, “Hope we didn’t cause too much trouble for you.”

The Ranger eyed the pair with disgruntled confusion and suspicion, almost curious as to why the shrimp that’d barreled into him would be so comfortable just _TOUCHING_ a wolf like that. “Yeah, no trouble at all. You just scared off the LUNCH we’d been tracking for the last hour!” he finished with a grumble, rolling his eyes at the little elflings.

Rona stood up and waved a hand out, “Um - did you not just see the _DRAGON_ we were just running from!? Are you blind!? But surely you heard it, or are you deaf too!?”

“Dragon?” he scoffed almost a laugh, “Well _EXCUUUUUSE_ me Princess, I didn’t know we were living in the land of make believe **_bullshit_** all of a sudden. Did you two just come down off a drunken bender or something, there are _no dragons_!” he griped, pulling himself up off the ground and standing up to his full height. “Oh damn you’re tall…” Eroeh murmured, looking up.

Rona glared defiantly at the rude ranger and snapped, “So you **_are_** blind and deaf then! Well seeing as you’re doing just fine and not traumatized like us we’ll be going our way now.” She turned on toe and stormed off, eager to get away from yet another rude, idiot man.

“Hey, wait for me!” Eroeh chirped, scrambling quickly to follow after her. She didn’t get very far though, as one of her ankles promptly gave out. It seemed she’d managed to sprain it in her fall. _“Oh fuck!”_ she squawked as she went down face first in the grass. 

Rona turned back and ran over to Eroeh and knelt down beside her, “Ah, Eroeh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have run off like that. Are you okay?” She held her hands out, ready to heal in a moments notice.

“Oh great, now the drunk is crippled,” the hot, grouchy man mumbled as he walked over and helped her up. Seeing as she was going nowhere without assistance, and her travelling partner was even shrimpier than she was, he decided that since his quarry was as good as lost he might as well head back to town and just eat at the inn.

 _“My hero~”_ Eroeh swooned with a pained giggle as he tossed her pack over his shoulder and scooped her up. “Don’t get used to it, you two owe me a meal,” he grumbled, trying to ignore the obvious enjoyment on the girl’s face. “And who is it that I might be feeding?” Eroeh asked with a saucy wiggle of her eyebrow. “The name’s Bishop. And you’ve already acquainted yourself all too well with my wolf, Karnwyr,” he answered shortly. “Well **_my_** name is Eroeh. And my sour snowberry of a partner over there is Rona. Pleased to meet you, Bishop!” she smiled, getting comfortable.

Rona pursed her lips a bit, being called a snowberry, but laughed it off and said, “Well I could definitely eat after the day we had.” Bishop raised his brow skeptically at her and she said firmly, “Whether you believe us or not, we’ve had a pretty shitty day.” He laughed a little, getting a bit more friendly himself and they headed off towards the nearby town.

As they neared Riverwood, Eroeh perked up considerably. “So, straight on to the inn we go!” Eroeh grinned, patting Bishop on the shoulder to let her down. Raising an eyebrow he did so, and she skipped happily over the the porch of the inn, a mischievous grin spread wide across her face. “Thanks for the lift, handsome. Now let’s eat!” She cackled, pulling open the door and going inside.


	3. Some Sad Rona Stuff

**Setting: The Sleeping Giant Inn, Riverwood**

Rona looked on at Eroeh with half-lidded eyes as she skipped on into the inn. She laughed inwardly to herself at the spunky antics of the Bosmer. She glanced over at the utterly stunned ranger and walked by him into the inn looking forward to the tall glass of wine she was going to have right in that moment. She walked up to the bar to order drinks for herself and Eroeh, already knowing what her friend’s drink of choice was.

“I’d like to order a glass of Alto wine and a double of Colovian Brandy please.”

The bartender who appeared to be nearly as disgruntled as the ranger just frowned and said, “We ain’t got any Brandy. What do you think this place is?”

She blushed a bit, feeling annoyed again and called back to Eroeh, “No Brandy girl, want something else? And what do you want to eat?”

“Girl this place is too small for Brandy” Eroeh laughed, “Just wine will do, and a bowl or plate of whatever’s hot!” she called out from her spot in a shadier corner of the bar, where Bishop had already joined her. “And what do you want? It’s the least I can do after scaring away your lunch and tricking you into carrying me over here,” she smiled, relieved that he seemed amused at her antics. “Mead will do, I suppose. And whatever food is still fresh,” he chuckled, eyeing the white haired elfling next to him.

“What’d you do that for anyways? Your girlfriend over there seemed pretty keen on getting as far away from me as possible,” he asked, looking back towards the bar momentarily. “And that’s **_exactly_** why. Hard to ditch you if we need you to carry me!” she laughed, proud of herself for her quick thinking. Bishop just sort of snorted at the thought and shook his head, unsure of what to make of the pair.

Rona ordered their drinks and food. She also ordered a rabbit and wandered back over to their shared table. She knelt down by the sweet russet wolf, scratching him behind the ears and offered him the dead bunny, a peace offering for stumbling over him. He took it happily and started licking its fur and gnawing on it. She smiled and pulled up a chair at the table and said, “Sorry for my temper earlier. We’ve just dealt with a lot of idiots today and like we already said, just survived a dragon attack, so… well, your attitude was kind of the last straw for me.”

“I still think you’re full of it, but it really doesn’t matter now, does it?” he asked, trying to reign in the attitude as much as he could. “Anyways, what are two shorties such as yourselves doing wandering around in the woods alone anyhow? Surely with bandits and soldiers and shit around every corner you’d be better suited to staying in town,” he asked, trying to glean any info he could from them without seeming too interested.

“We’re just travelling around Skyrim is all,” Eroeh answered, picking at a stray splinter of wood in the table. “Heading up to Winterhold, and just taking in the sights on the way there. Honestly I’m sure we’ll have much more fun wandering around in the woods than we would just taking the boring old roads, but that’s just my humble opinion,” she finished with a smirk as she shifted her eyes towards Rona.

“Pretty much. We’re just making our way up to visit my ata,” she corrected quickly as always, “my father, I mean, out at the College of Winterhold. I haven’t traveled Skyrim further than Falkreath hold and my friend here was going to show me the sights on our way up to visit the College.”

Bishop grinned and said, “Well if you’re being chased around by _dragons_ then maybe you need a marksman to protect you.”

Rona looked at him with half-lidded eyes and thumbed back at her obvious bow and quiver then nodded to Eroeh, “Think we’ve already got that handled, _ranger_.”

He shrugged and said, “Well how about someone who knows the lay of the land then? I know Skyrim like the back of my hand.”

Rona snorted a laugh and motioned her hands up to Eroeh once more.

“I think living here for the last decade covers that too. I’ve been wandering around all the shady back paths and been in and out of most every building this province has to offer. But... if you’re that determined, we do have a spot open for a mysteriously _broody_ hunky male companion,” Eroeh chuckled, wiggling her eyebrows at the Nord once more.

Rona burst into a fit of laughter, clutching her stomach at the Bosmer’s bold remarks and feeling a little snarky herself, leaned on the table, flashing him a flirty look and mock bat her lashes saying, “You know, if you want to join us because you think we’re cute, all you had to do was ask. My friend here seems quite taken with you anyhow, and I certainly wouldn’t mind the extra company- provided you behave yourself and don’t get back on my bad side.”

“Aww but Rona, what’s the fun in that?” Eroeh whined, chuckling. “What about the mischief and _maaaaayhem..._ ” She pouted, sticking out her lower lip and using her large, sparkly green eyes to her advantage.

Bishop looked between the two giggling half-elves and smirked, finding himself enjoying their company, not to mention their looks. There was just something about short, snarky women with gorgeous green eyes that gave him the most confusing boner he’d ever had in his life. And if they were inviting him along, crazy as they might be, spouting nonsense about dragons and what-have-you, he simply couldn’t say no. 

“Well,” he said, smirking and casually leaning back in his chair, “I definitely couldn’t say no if you’re offering. I could certainly do worse for company.” He winked at them.

“You know, this knife of yours is pretty sharp. You should probably replace that ratty old sheath before you cut yourself,” Eroeh giggled, pulling his dagger up onto the table from within her lap.

“ _What the-_ How did you?!?” he stammered, patting his sides to find that it _was_ indeed **_his_** knife she was holding. “Woman of many talents, Bishop. Hang around long enough and you just might learn a thing or two,” she winked, pinching the blade between her index finger and thumb and handing it back hilt first.

Standing up to put the dagger back in it’s sheath he also noticed that his belt had been undone, as his pants fell ever-so-slightly. “ _You little minx,_ ” he chuckled, admiring her talentedly light fingers. “You don’t even know the half of it,” she smirked, the corner of her mouth drawing into her cheek with a dimple as she stood and made her way to the bar for their food.

Rona was going red in the cheeks and averting her eyes as Bishop buckled his trousers back up. He smirked at her wondering what other ways he could make her blush… in fact he was starting to wonder if there was any chance in Oblivion he could be making them both blush, maybe even at the same time.

He promptly noted the obvious, “You know little elf, when you blush it runs right up to the tips of your ears.”

This only served to make Rona burn red even more and she said, “My name is Rona! Thank you very much!” She tried to cover her ears with her hair to no avail.

Eroeh made her way back just in time to see all of this go down, and carefully laid out the armful of dishes she was so expertly carrying. “He’s right, you know. And it’s just the funniest thing- when she really gets going, she looks like a snowberry,” Eroeh giggled, smirking at her companion as she tried to glare her to death. 

Rona scoffed a little, “Hey! Quit picking on me!”

Eroeh blew a kiss to her sour cohort and sat back down at the table, immediately taking a deep drink of wine to unwind after their incredibly taxing day. “I can’t wait til we get to Whiterun. The booze is better, the tips are guaranteed, and they have this _beautiful_ bath house that’s just- **_unf!_** ” she groaned, taking a bite out of her food. “If you haven’t been there before, the Bannered Mare is definitely one of the best taverns in Skyrim,” she explained. “Plus they should have more rooms available to rent for the night,” she added, slyly eyeing the ranger, who was obviously still hung up thinking about them in the bath house.

The red started to fade from Rona’s face as she dug into her plate of food and smiled, “I’ve never been to Whiterun, although my mother was a Companion and practically lived there when she wasn’t back home at the farm in Falkreath. I wouldn’t mind paying them a visit.”

“The Companions eh?” Bishop remarked, “So what? You believe in all that honor and glory crap?”

Rona scowled at him. “And what’s so wrong with that?” she said feeling a bit offended being a Fighter’s Guild member herself.

“Oh please. The Companions are just a bunch of glorified mercenaries who drink all their coin away. They’re no more honorable than anyone else who kills for money,” he scoffed, bringing his bottle of mead to his lips. “Buncha blowhards if you ask me,” he grumbled into the amber colored glass.

Eroeh looked on at the exchange and just chuckled awkwardly, “So what’s it like in the **_Fighter’s Guild_** , Rona? They keep you pretty busy?” she asked awkwardly, trying to give the big dope a hint to shut his face before Rona shut it for him. Bishop choked on his drink, cutting his gaze off to the side as his cheeks pinkened slightly. 

“Yes,” she said firmly, eyes still locked on Bishop, “They do.”

She shoveled her food down, ignoring the snarky ranger as he turned his own attentions back to eating his lunch and not putting his foot further in his mouth.

Rona turned to Eroeh and said, “So I’m thinking we should work for our food and beds tonight? Want to play something together when we get to Whiterun?”

“ _Oh great,_ ” He groaned quietly. “ _Of course they’re fucking bards…_ ” he scowled to himself, rolling his eyes. “I think that’s a fantastic idea! The bard in Whiterun is a bit of a shithead, so it’ll be fun to ruffle his feathers while we’re there,” she finished with a mischievous chuckle. 

Rona smiled at her cheery companion. She was really looking forward to that. If there was one thing she loved more than mercenary work, it was playing music and singing. They finished their lunches then and prepared to leave. 

“Before we head out, I need to go ahead and stop off at my cousin’s house. I have a few things to drop off before we carry on out of here,” Eroeh piped up, downing the last of her tall glass of wine. “He should still be up at the mill working, so I need to let him know before I go rifling through our stuff.” They all stepped outside and Karnwyr spotted a bird and darted playfully off after it. It flew up into the tree and he stared up at it whining.

“It’s whatever. I don’t have anywhere particularly important to be. What about you, Pinkie?” Bishop asked with a smirk, looking to get a rise out of the little Altmer.

Rona’s eyes went half-lidded at this cocky man and she chuckled turning up the sass in reply, “I’ve got all the time in the world, _Scruffy_.”

He scoffed incredulously, “ _Scruffy?”_

She reached out, yanking a couple of twigs from his tangled honey brown locks and said, “Yeah, you know, ‘cause it looks like you enjoy rolling around in the dirt as much as your wolf does.”

They all glanced over at Karnwyr who was, in that moment, rolling happily in a patch of damp earth near the river, tongue lolling and tail wagging.

Eroeh reached into her pack, pulled out a piece of venison jerky she’d bought for the road, and gave a sharp whistle to get the goofy wolf’s attention. “Karnwyr, c’mon boy!” she called, and as the big dope looked over and saw the snack in hand, he scrambled to his feet and trotted right over, earning him not only the jerky, but a scratch behind the ear. “ _Good boy_ , now let’s go,” she cooed, leading the group up to the nearby lumber mill where her cousin was busy at work.

“Faendal!” Eroeh shouted over the noise of the mill, the older, full-blooded Bosmer’s sharp hearing perking his ears at their approach. “Heya kiddo, what are you doing up here? I thought you were out South visiting your sister,” he questioned, giving the girl a warm hug and covering her shirt in sawdust.

“I was. I just got back today. Mind if I head to the house and grab a few things? I’d stay but we need to get up to Winterhold for my new girlfriend over here,” she explained, motioning to Rona.

“Yeah that’s fine, you know you don’t have to ask, it’s your stuff too,” Faendal laughed, clapping her on the shoulder.

“I know, but I’d hate for you to not know I stopped by and freak out thinking you’d been robbed.”

“We both know you’d leave a note. You know kid, if you missed me, all you had to do was say so,” he laughed, waving her off and getting back to work. Bishop was starting to see where the little elfling got part of her sassy attitude.

He then followed as she led their little merry band of misfits through the short maze of homes and fences towards the house she occasionally shared with her cousin. As they approached the small home, Bishop noticed the extensive garden outside and its inclusion of not only Skyrim flora, but also Cyrodiilic and Valenwood flora.

Eroeh stopped momentarily, fishing out her overly filled keyring, and after a moment of thought, decided to hell with it and just opted to pick the lock. Turning the key ring to her set of picks, she selected a specific pair and set to work on the lock. With a few quick motions and a satisfied click the door creaked open, and Eroeh walked in as if it were no big deal.

Rona followed Eroeh into the home while Bishop stayed hanging partway out the door, leaning against the doorframe. The Altmer glanced back at him, not liking this still very strange man blocking their only exit.

Bishop remarked on something that Rona had only started to slowly pick up on though, “You’ve got quite the sneaky hands there, Ladyship.”

They both looked back at his use of the word, Rona snickering a little and said, “ _Ladyship?_ We have names you know.”

“Yeah, Pinkie,” he nodded to her now scowling face, “and Ladyship,” he motioned his head to Eroeh, “Get used to it, _Princess_.”

“Fine then, _Scruffy_ ,” Rona retorted, “If you want to play it like that.”

They both laughed a little at each other and Rona started to loosen up her defenses around the man. He was crude, brazen and a bit obnoxious for sure, but he hardly seemed like a real threat to them.

Rona turned back to Eroeh and asked, “So, where did you learn to pick locks like that?”

Eroeh thought for a moment and shook her head. “Sometimes when you’re out in the world living your life you pick up on things. Like how to crack locks for giggles and snatch the belt out of a guy’s pants. I... fell in with a rough bunch when I was younger. I had nothing, so they took me in and taught me a few things. It comes in handy when you lose your keys, that’s for sure.”

Bishop raised an eyebrow, “So Thieves Guild, eh?” Eroeh’s face reddened a bit, but she conceded with a shrug and a nervous chuckle. “Once upon a time, yeah. I still keep in contact now and then, but I don’t go on jobs for them anymore. I like my honest earnings better. Less chance of going to jail that way,” she laughed, flipping through her excessive amount of keys for a matching pair, removing them and sticking them both into her stash boxes dual locks. “There we go. Sorry, but I needed to restock my arrows for the road, stalhrim isn’t exactly easy to come by around here,” she chuckled, pulling out a thick handful of crystalline-tipped arrows. “Also, I keep a bottle or two of the good stuff in my stashes for just in case,” she added, pulling out a dusty bottle of her favored Colovian Brandy. Digging through her pack she pulled out a fat sack of jingling coins and placed them on a nearby desk, taking a piece of paper from nearby and scrawling on it _‘Treat yourself for once you old fart. You deserve it!’_

With a grin she turned around, ready to go. She decided against just leaving the door unlocked and begrudgingly fished for the key to the door, taking longer than it had to just pick the damn thing in the first place. “Alright. Next stop, Whiterun!” she chirped, closing and locking the door behind them.

Bishop whistled for Karnwyr and followed close at the heels of the Bosmer while Rona fell into step behind him. She looked on curiously at her present company, not realizing she’d been in the presence of a former thief and almost kicking herself for not being more perceptive of the obvious, especially after what happened in Helgen, with the hidden tunnel behind the bookcase. Granted, they had been dealing with a very pressing matter at the moment.

She had no real love for thieves, but she didn’t hate them either. She rarely if ever dealt with issues of thievery in her line of work and when she did they were usually just typical bandits who often did more than just steal, they were killers too. Having lived in the Imperial City and knowing the Waterfront for what it was, she could understand the necessity of thieving out of survival. She said nothing about it though, considering Eroeh had said it was in her past it didn’t seem to matter much anymore. She was a little interested in learning how to pick locks like her though. That was a skill she’d always failed miserably in and her Guildmate Marco was strangely adept at, granted she assumed it was more for sneaking into rooms he shouldn’t be in than for thievery.

Rona quickened her pace and caught up with Eroeh and asked, “Think you could teach me to pick locks like that? You’re definitely right about it being a useful skill. My Guildmates usually took care of that for me, but if we’re ever in a jam I’d like to be a little more useful.”

Eroeh breathed a sigh of relief, “Of course, always glad to lend what knowledge I have about stuff to those willing to learn!”

As they walked along the main road, Eroeh pulled her key ring back out and started showing Rona the various picks and such she might need to start with, offering to get her a starting set whenever they came across the nearest Khajiit caravan. “In a pinch, you can use all sorts of stuff to pick a lock though, like hairpins. That always throws the boys off to see,” she chuckled, putting her lockpicks away as they approached the outer gates of Whiterun.

** Setting ** **: Whiterun**

“Halt, cities closed with dragons about!” a skinny guard shouted from his post next to the gates. “Really Ingmar, how is closing the gates to people going to stop anything to do with the dragons?” Eroeh said irritably, rolling her eyes.

“Wait a minute, so you weren’t just pulling my leg about the flying lizards?” Bishop gawked, realizing he’d completely missed the damn thing. “Yeah, we were **_super_** serious. Anyways Ingmar,” Eroeh turned back to the guard. “We saw it at Helgen, it flew over Riverwood and was headed out this way the last we saw it.”

“Well why didn’t you say that in the first place? Go! Tell the Jarl!” he shouted, his voice cracking slightly as he and his partner pushed open the large wooden gate.

“Pffft, fucking idiot.” Eroeh grumbled under her breath as the gate closed behind them. “What the hell is closing the gates gonna do to stop a dragon? It’s not like they couldn’t just fly right in and burn it to the ground. I mean, seriously…” she griped, rubbing her hand down her face in annoyance. “So where to, Rona? I’m thinkin Jorrvaskr first, then the tavern.”

Rona giggled at her remark. Closing the gates definitely would not stop a _flying,_ fire-breathing dragon from burning the entire city to the ground. She tried not to revisit that nightmare though and perked up at the mention of meeting the Companions, “Yeah, let’s stop there first. I wonder if they’ll know who I am though… I never did get to meet any of them. My mother she…” she trailed off a bit, thinking of her mother’s constant neglect and how she always preferred the company of the Companions over her own daughter’s. 

Rona really wanted to know just what it was about these people that had kept the woman out of her life for so long. Eroeh notice her faltering, but ignored it out of respect for her privacy and led the way up some steps and towards a large Mead Hall in the distance. Rona felt herself getting more and more nervous at the prospect of meeting these people.

Bishop went ahead of them both, suddenly chivalrous and opened the door, making to hold it for them. He started saying, “ _Ladies_ -” when out of nowhere he got a hard knuckle-sandwich to the jaw, nearly knocking him off his feet.

“I SWEAR VILKAS! IF YOU EVER GO THROUGH MY THINGS AGAIN!” A scrawny, blonde Nord woman screeched at him. She stopped though when she realized that whoever she’d hit wasn’t who she’d **_meant_** to hit and muttered, “Oh shit…”

A woman with dark red hair and three green slashes of war paint across her face, stood up behind her from a large U-shaped table and barked, “Njada damn it! Quit hitting our meal tickets!”

An older white haired man seated at the head of the table next to the red-head and another balding man with one good eye was chuckling loudly to himself. The balding man was just rolling said good eye. 

Bishop rubbed at his jaw, scowling and looking irritated but chose not to pick a fight over it, whether it was because she was a woman (that he’d just been utterly decked by) or because it was a bad idea to pick fights around a group of warriors, Rona could only guess.

Eroeh couldn’t help but laugh at the exchange and stepped over to Bishop, gently placing her hand on his face and locking eyes with him. “Here, this should help.” She smiled as her hand began glowing with a faint golden light, the warmth on his face confusing him until he realized what she was doing. “Hey hey hey! Get that magic shit away from me!” he yelped, pulling away from the little half-Bosmer. “It’s fine, I was done anyways,” she giggled, giving him a wink.

Rona raised her brows at him and said, “It’s just Restoration. Even a Nord like you should be able to appreciate that.” She stepped into the Mead Hall and heard the combined gasp of several of the Companions. All eyes were on her suddenly and she felt her face turning a deep shade of crimson.

Aela muttered, “By the gods…”

“Well I’ll be damned, she’d be her twin if not for the ears,” the man with the good eye muttered.

The elderly, white-haired man in the center stood up and said, “So, I see Claudia’s daughter has finally decided to grace our halls once again. Welcome to Jorrvaskr young one.”

So they did know her, or at least knew of her… but again? “We… We’ve met before?” She asked, almost a whisper out of shyness.

The older man chuckled and said, “Oh yes, you were born here Rona, of course you wouldn’t remember that. Ah, I suppose introductions are in order then. This is Aela and Skjor, Shield-Siblings to your mother, and I am Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger of the Companions. So what brings you to our halls young one?”

Rona’s redness started to fade and she stepped forward and wasn’t sure where to begin, “I… I’ve just always wanted to meet you. My mother, she told me all about your adventures together, well… whenever she actually stuck around long enough to.”

Kodlak nodded knowingly, still smiling brightly at her, seeming very pleased that she was there, “I can certainly tell you anything you would like to know. Perhaps you and your companions would be interested in joining us for some revelry?”

Eroeh grinned, unclasping her brandy bottle from the side of her pack. “Hell yeah we would!”

Bishop, however, was skeptical- but wasn’t about to miss a chance to see the tiny terrors drunk off their perky asses. “Sure, why not,” he grumbled, still eyeing the one who’d hit him.

They all took seats around the open table, with Skjor giving up his seat so Rona could sit next to Kodlak and speak directly with him. She noticed Eroeh promptly take up a chair next to the still grumpy looking ranger, though when an older woman came by filling their tankards with ale and offered other drinks he seemed to perk up more. Rona smirked at her friend’s flirtations with the man. The two made quite the pair, she thought. But she turned her own attentions back to Kodlak, having a million questions buzzing in her head about her mother.

They both took to drinking their own favorites, her sipping on a goblet of wine and Kodlak drinking deeply of his mead. He told her everything she’d ever wanted to know about the woman, initially their conversation started out lighthearted, with him telling her about some of their adventures and Aela chiming in to go on about her own mother Grella and how her and Claudia were an inseparable pair. 

Rona found herself smiling a bit and actually relating to her mother, realizing how alike they really were. Two people who loved traveling, adventure and mercenary work. But her face fell when she realized that despite all that the woman never seemed to want anything to do with her. Kodlak noticed and asked, “I can tell you’re wondering why Claudia had such little interest in raising you. Please, don’t hold back. You may ask whatever you like about her. I will be completely honest.”

Rona was surprised at how forthright he was being and immediately asked, “Why didn’t she want anything to do with me?”

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning. After you were born, your mother struggled to care for you. Aela and her mother Grella did what they could to help her, trying to get you to nurse. Claudia struggled quite a bit with it and often pushed you away. I'm afraid it was my mistake, suggesting she return home to the peacefulness of her farm to care for you over the next few months. I thought it would help her. I was deeply wrong in that regard."

He paused, for a moment, looking anxiously over at her, "This is very distressing girl...are you sure you want to hear the rest?” She nodded fervently.

He pressed his lips together and carried on, "Grella was concerned about your well-being, leaving you alone with her and left to visit Claudia after a week. What she discovered nearly tore hers and your mother's friendship apart. She found the cottage in disarray and you on the floor, wrapped in soiled blankets, left alone for gods know how long, starved and screaming like a banshee. Grella found your mother up at a tavern in Helgen, drunk off her wits. When she arrived with you in tow Claudia cried, trying to get away from you, wanting nothing to do with you. The poor woman was going mad attempting to care for you and when she couldn't stand it anymore she just left you."

Rona looked down at her hands feeling a rush of grief taking hold, she clenched her teeth trying to hold it back especially in front of all these people. This really was incredibly distressing and she was not ready to hear it. She couldn’t believe her father had ever kept these details from her. She felt a sudden desire to confront him about it, feeling a flush of anger over it all.

She felt the stares of the others on her and quickly stood up, surprising Kodlak.

“Are you alright pup?” He asked quickly. She shook her head and darted out of there even leaving Eroeh and Bishop behind. She needed to get away from that, it was just too much.

She rushed outside and stopped near the dying Eldergleam in the center of the town square, wiping her tears away and feeling embarrassed.

“Rona!” Eroeh called out as she stumbled across the threshold into the fresh air. “Rona wait up, what’s wrong? Who did it? You want me to kill ‘em?” She stammered, awkwardly dragging her pack behind her as Bishop followed close behind. “Yeah what the hell, we just got started drinking!” he slurred.

Rona laughed through her tears and said, “No, it’s fine. The offending person is already long gone now…”

“Oh…” Eroeh muttered. “Well, shit. That’s no fun. You gonna be okay? I mean, I doubt that poor old tree is gonna be of much help, but we could always go beat up a training dummy for fun if you’d like. Maybe blow off a bit of steam?” Eroeh offered, carefully placing a reassuring hand on Rona’s shoulder. “The Companions left them unattended, so I don’t see why we couldn’t~” she purred, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.

Rona laughed and said, “Honestly I could just use another drink, maybe something a little stronger than my usual. How about we head to a tavern and sing our hearts out?”

“I’m always down for a drink. C’mon, let’s go piss of Mikael,” she snickered, offering Rona her arm before they walked back down towards the tavern.


	4. Painted Dicks

**Setting:** **The Bannered Mare Tavern, Whiterun**

Bishop was the first to burst into the tavern, already quite buzzed, especially when he slurred out, “Ah Whiterun! Home of some of the best taverns in _Skyyyriiim_. What do you say we open a few flasks and drown ‘em in wiiine?”

The girls both snickered at his back and Rona agreed, “I could definitely go for another drink. Hey Eroeh, I’ve never tried Brandy before. Any chance you could share a swig of that?”

Before Eroeh had a chance to answer however a busty tavern wench with short red hair sauntered straight on up to Bishop and started stroking his arm. He looked absolutely disgusted by the woman however, which surprised Rona.

“Hey there handsome,” she purred, “My name is Neeshka. Do you think I’m pretty?”

Bishop scoffed at her, taking a step backward and threw his arms over the shoulders of the two half-elves in his presence and sneered, “No, I think you’re a pest, _flea_.”

Neeshka’s eyes lit with a new hatred at the ranger’s two tiny companions. Rona looked up at Bishop with half-lidded eyes and quickly ducked out from under his arm, “I don’t think sooo Scruffy.”

Eroeh simply giggled, playing into the act. “Aww thats a shame. You really had me excited about later tonight,” she winked, wrapping an arm possessively around Bishop. The other was firmly on the dagger at her hip, as she carefully traced her fingers around the leather of it’s grip. 

Rona picked up on Eroeh’s hint and wanting to mess with the ranger a bit said, “Right, I know we talked about that, I just need a little more wine in me before we head off to the bedroom tonight.”

Bishop nearly snapped his neck looking back and forth between the two, and Rona smirked at Neeshka who’d started to really fume over that notion. The wench upped the charm and took a step forward, letting her fingers dance across his chest as she purred, “You don’t need them big man, I’m more woman than these two _shrimps_ could ever be.”

Bishop immediately shut her down, “I don’t think so flea. Two drop-dead _gorgeous_ ladies warming my bed tonight? Yeah, I’ll definitely take that over whatever sloppy seconds you’re offering.”

Rona started giggling like an idiot at his comment and watched as Neeshka got furiously red in the face and flustered over it. Bishop and Eroeh stepped around her aiming for the bar, and Neeshka made to follow them when Rona _just happened_ to let her foot out in the wench’s path, forcing her to topple over face first into the bard. This sent them both over a bench with a resounding crash, ending the awful tavern song the bard was attempting to play and sing. (aka the most obnoxious rendition known to man of Ragnar the Red) Rona smirked to herself, thinking, _great, two for one_.

Eroeh laughed at the scene unfolding behind them, and before Bishop could turn she managed to grab a meaty handful of his ass. “C’mon, handsome, let’s get this party started,” she giggled, watching as his face went from surprise to excitement. “Hey there Hulda, what’s on the menu for tonight?” she asked, grinning like an idiot. “Well, we have venison or rabbit stew, grilled chicken with vegetables, or cooked beef with a baked potato,” she responded, having absentmindedly been counting the options off on her fingers as she leaned against the bar.

“So, are you paying with coin or are you planning to earn it with that lute of yours like usual?” she asked, noticing the grin on the Eroeh's face. “Hulda, when have I _EVER_ missed the chance to mess with Mikael?” she asked, answering the innkeepers question. “I'll take the steak with a baked potato... _ooooh_ and don't forget the butter... **_or_** a hunk of good melty cheese if you have it on hand. As for these two, I know the lady will have a bottle of Alto wine, as will I this round- and this handsome bastard will take a bottle of Blackbriar,” she grinned, looking at Rona and Bishop, respectively. “I'll just let them order their own food, though.”

“You wanna drink this before or after the song?” Eroeh asked, turning to Rona with a full glass of Alto wine in hand. “Cause imma just finish mine real quick,” she giggled before chugging her own _very_ full glass of wine.

Rona grinned downing hers quickly and wiped at her mouth with her sleeve, noting the amused look on Bishop’s face as he sipped at his own mead. She called over to Hulda saying, “I’ll take a couple of grilled chicken legs and some veggies,” then she leaned into Eroeh and said, “Hey, gimme a swig of that Brandy you’ve always got on you.” She chuckled a bit, already feeling nice and buzzed from the wine.

“Always happy to share,” Eroeh smiled, snatching the bottle off the side of her pack, taking a deep swig before passing it to the Altmer. “Be careful though,” she giggled in warning, “It's really potent stuff for those who aren't used to it. Would hate for you to get sick off of it…”

Rona took a deep drink of the bottle and swallowed hard letting it burn her throat and send a shiver up her spine. She’d never had anything that strong before, but all things considered, she definitely felt that she needed it. She shook off the tingling sensation it left in her and passed the bottle back to Eroeh coughing a little and muttered, “Whoa… that stuffs harsh… but thanks.”

She pulled her pack off, shoving it in Bishop’s arms and grabbed her violin and said, “Make sure you and no one else steals anything out of that!” He just scoffed at her and she gave him a wink and stepped around the hearth and smirked at Eroeh, “What do you think? _Sera Was Never?_ Me on violin, you on lute and vocals?”

Downing the rest of her wine and taking another swill of brandy, Eroeh pulled her lute from her pack and gave Rona a mischievous grin “Perfect,” she purred. “Take a breather, Mikael, we'll take it from here,” she grinned at the sour, skinny looking bard who was trying and failing to seduce another patron of the inn. “Ahem,” Eroeh cleared her throat loudly. “Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to have your lackluster evening salvaged, as my lovely companion and I have come to the rescue. This is a little song known as ‘[ ** _Sera Was Never_**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR68Ll3ELig)’,” she giggled, tipping her head at Rona to start playing.

It only took a moment or two for the jovial duet of lute and violin to fill the air with a warmer, more exciting air, as the patrons started raising their bored faces from their food or drinks to observe the little elves as they played.

_“Sera was never an agreeable girl, Her tongue tells tales of rebellion  
But she was so fast, And quick with her bow  
No one quite knew where she came from  
  
Sera was never quite the quietest girl, Her attacks are loud and they're joyful_

_But she knew the ways of nobler men, And she knew how to enrage them  
  
She would always like to say  
"Why change the past, When you can own this day?"  
Today she will fight, To keep her way  
She's a rogue and a thief, And she'll tempt your fate_

_She would always like to say  
"Why change the past, When you can own this day?"  
Today she will fight, To keep her way  
A rogue and a thief, And she'll tempt your fate  
  
Sera was never quite the wealthiest girl, Some say she lives in a tavern  
But she was so sharp, And quick with bow  
Arrows strike like a dragon  
  
Sera was never quite the gentlest girl, Her eyes were sharp like a razor  
But she knew the ways of commoner men, And she knew just how to use them  
  
She would always like to say  
"Why change the past, When you can own this day?"  
Today she will fight, To keep her way  
She's a rogue and a thief, And she'll tempt your fate  
  
She would always like to say  
"Why change the past, When you can own this day?"  
Today she will fight, To keep her way  
She's a rogue and a thief, And she'll tempt your fate”_

With a flourished bow they finished the piece, and were heavily applauded by the no-longer-bored patrons of the Bannered Mare. The sound of music and raucous cheering of the crowd had brought in even more people from outside, curious as to why the inn seemed so lively all of a sudden.

Rona was definitely not done entertaining the locals though and continued to play some fun music on her violin, still feeling very buzzed. She leaned over to Eroeh who was sharing a very obvious exchange of flirty looks with the Ranger and muttered with a laugh, “He’s brazen, brash, rude, and cocky... but you really like him, don’t you?”

Eroeh gave a naughty purr in return, “ _Oh but of course,_ ” she explained. “That’s _exactly_ why I like him. Makes him so much more interesting, don’t you think? The honesty really is refreshing,” she giggled.

Rona shrugged, “If you say so. By the way, I’m more than happy to keep up this little charade with you, because I really like messing with that fool, but we’ll probably need to get a real room and from what I can see this place only has two of them…”

“I’m on it,” she smiled, walking over and leaning close to the innkeeper. “Hey Hulda, who’s renting the big room upstairs?” she asked sweetly, batting her lashes at the older redhead. “I probably shouldn’t be telling you, but it’s Uthgerd.” Eroeh’s smile only widened at this. “Uthgerd, you say?” she chuckled, looking back into the tavern til her eyes met the older woman sitting in a corner across the inn. “Thanks, that’s all I needed to know.”

With that, Eroeh made her way across the bar, brandy bottle in hand and casually took the chair opposite Uthgerd, turning it and sitting in it backwards. “So, how much to take the big room off your hands for the night?” She asked, already anticipating her answer. “No gold. Just fight me for it.” The sour old Nord said flatly, nonchalantly taking a swig from her tankard. “Fine, but the gauntlets come off. Bare fists only.” Eroeh responded far too quickly. Raising an eyebrow at the little elf, Uthgerd chuckled before nodding and removing her steel gauntlets. Eroeh followed by removing her fingerless leather gloves in good faith.

“Alright you milk-drinkers, make some room!” Eroeh barked out, causing the closest people in the crowd to move back, and the remaining patrons to start placing bets. “Twelve septims on Uthgerd!” one called out, “I got ten on the elf!” another cackled from somewhere in the crowd. 

Rona, while still playing her violin, stepped around the hearth and over to the bar where Bishop stood staring wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before them. He mumbled, “Is she really..?”

“Yup,” Rona laughed a little and picked up her tune, giving them a beat to fight to. 

[ **_EYE OF THE TIGER_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtTiP3NpTtQ) **__ **

“Age before beauty,” Eroeh purred, flexing her fingers and narrowing her eyes.

With that Uthgerd made her move, diving in after the little elf and swinging a quick right hook in her direction. Eroeh evaded her easily enough, bending back and throwing a fist of her own to uppercut the old bat. Her fist connected with little effort and Uthgerd growled as she felt her teeth crack from the sudden impact. “Bring it, grandma!” Eroeh exclaimed with a cackle, weaving between a couple of empty chairs to give herself some distance.

With a threatening chuckle, Uthgerd wiped her lip and spat blood onto the wooden floor, flexing her hands before going at Eroeh a second time, this time keeping her eyes locked on Eroeh’s. This time, however, Eroeh saw it coming from a mile away and threw an arm up to block the strike before headbutting the old woman. Enraged, Uthgerd swung wildly and caught Eroeh off guard, sending her skidding over a nearby tabletop and onto the floor with a thud.

Everyone in the room cringed at the sight of her hitting the floor and all groaned in unison, “ _Oooh!_ ”

Bishop was watching on, actually admiring the little Bosmer’s tenacity, and was _almost_ concerned when he watched her go flying. Until he heard a deranged sounding laugh coming from the floor and saw her flying over the table towards the old Nord, an excited and _-slightly-_ crazy look in her eyes. He tried his best to ignore the sudden tightening of his pants as she dove over the downed furniture and took down the older woman, knocking her to the floor with a loud metallic clatter. After a few solid thuds of impact, the only thing to be heard were the garbled words “I YIELD!”

The next thing anyone saw was the peppy little Bosmer poking her head up above the table, wide grin spread across her face, and blood on her cheek. “THE BIG ROOM’S ALL OURS BABY!” she laughed, holding up the key in her bloodied right hand.

Rona squealed, leaping up and down like a child and she looked up at Bishop throwing him her flirtiest look. She was proud to say she made him blush a little for once and it put a stupid grin right on his face. She looked over at the bartender and said, “I’d like to order your strongest bottle of liquor and have it sent up to our room!”

Hulda smirked at her and said, “Sure you can afford it? It’s Daedric Lava Whiskey, not to mention it’ll knock you right off your ass.”

“ ** _I CAN!_** ” Eroeh piped up excitedly before Rona could answer, digging in her bag for a fat sack of gold. “This is gonna be fucking fantastic, I haven’t had that stuff in **_ages_**!” She squealed in delight as she shoved the bag across the counter.

Rona noticed a very peculiar lump in the Ranger’s pants and laughed a little saying in a sultry tone of voice, “Don’t get too excited there Scruffy, save it for the bedroom,” then she looked over at Eroeh and said, “Why don’t we get you cleaned up first girl? You’ve got a little something… right… well, here,” she motioned to her face and hands.

“The bath is on the house,” Hulda said grinning broadly at the both of them, “Got plenty of folk in here to cover that much for yah.”

“Oh… hey that’s cool.” Eroeh chuckled, awkwardly wiping her face and realizing she was just smearing what was left of Uthgerd around. “Oof, yeah I need to get this off of me.” she grinned. “The tub’s pretty big, but I dunno how you feel about all that.” Eroeh smiled, looking to Rona with a saucy eyebrow wiggle.

Rona glanced back at Bishop and said, “As long as the Ranger knows better than to peek, I don’t mind.”

He crossed his arms laughing a little, “Sure it’s not big enough for all three of us?”

“We wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for later, why don’t you go ahead and dig into that Whiskey and we’ll catch up with you in a bit?”

“She’s right, ranger. Would hate for you to see the goods prematurely. Why don’t you go stand by the door and keep the creepers out for us? We’ll make it worth your while~” she purred, running a bloodied finger down the center of his chest and grabbed her pack from under the barstool.

Bishop clicked for Karnwyr who was busy munching on a chicken bone, which he got from who knows where and he got up and followed them into the bathing room. The wolf settled down by the door happy to be out of the way of the foot traffic.

The bathwater was a little lukewarm and Rona scrunched her nose at it, “Think this has been used a few times already today.”

“Probably, but it’s the best you can get unless you get here early enough. If we were in Falkreath or Riften I could draw us one fresh, but… _I don’t have any pull here._ ” Eroeh shrugged. She grabbed a large ceramic vase from nearby and dunked it in the water, her hands turning bright red and she warmed the vase to the point of steaming. Dumping the water into the tub she did it two more times before calling the bath _“Good enough I guess.”_

Rona shrugged and made to undo the button on her dress when she noticed Bishop standing by the door with the bottle of Whiskey in hand, staring right at the both of them. She quickly lit her weak little flames spell in hand and said, “Don’t even think about looking or I will light that twig you call your dick into tinder.”

Bishop snorted a laugh and said, “Don’t go making any assumptions about _that_ before you’ve had a chance to see it Pinkie.”

Eroeh however was already completely topless, with her back to the door. “I dunno, Rona. It felt like it could be a dual-wielder when i was nicking his dagger and undoing his belt,” she sniggered, letting her wild mane of white curls loose from the bun she’d had it in all day.

“But then again, he _was_ soft. No real way of knowing til we see it!” she laughed, kicking off her boots and clumsily dropping her pants as she skipped back behind the haphazardly placed privacy screens.

“C’mon girl, before it gets cold again!” she laughed as she sank into the tub and started wiping herself down.

Rona felt her face burning utterly crimson at the boldness of her companion undressing so forthright in front of their current company, not to mention her brazen mention of the possible size of his nethers. Bishop was still staring wide-eyed with the biggest grin on his face, flashing his canines even.

She grabbed a bar of soap and chucked it at him. He tried to dodge it but considering how drunk he already was, he only managed to step right in front of it instead and it clocked him in the noggin, “Ow! Hey watch it shrimp!”

“Quit looking you pervert!” She snapped and ducked behind the divider. She quickly undid the button on her dress, letting it fall and kicked off her boots and underwear, then hopped into the bath with her companion, hiding herself beneath the soap bubbles that were starting to form from Eroeh’s bathing.

She couldn’t help but notice the Bosmer’s ample bosom as well as she bobbed in the water, looking almost as drunk as the rest of them. Rona glanced down at her own pair for a moment. She was neither small, nor big, one would just say average. She looked away, trying not to stare any more than she already was and making her face burn even more. She quickly went about washing herself with a nice rose and honey smelling soap.

Rona took a brief peek around the divider, taking notice that the Ranger was keeping his eyes on the crowd out in the tavern. She found that surprisingly considerate of him, because she’d just assumed he’d still be gawking at them, or even trying to sneak a peek. She almost started to feel bad for leading him on and letting him think he was getting a wild night with them, that is until his head turned back their way and their eyes met. He was bleary-eyed and red in the nose, throwing her a drunken smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him and slunk a little further into the bathwater. No. _Now_ she had no regrets. She would be sure to give that lech a night to remember.

Eroeh was too busy enjoying the newfound warmth of the tub and the smell of her vanilla lavender soap to notice Rona’s ogling, or her exchange with Bishop for that matter. She simply took a rag, lathered it, and set to scrubbing the blood from her face and hands. Sitting where she was she had a pretty clear line of sight to the ranger, all she had to do was lean ever so slightly to one side and there he was, with his back to the wall and their bottle of whiskey in hand. “Try to leave a bit of that for us, would you?” she called out, getting his attention. He looked back, gave her a wink, a tip of the head, and a lupine smirk in return before turning back towards the crowd.

“So what do you _really_ think of Bishop?” Eroeh whispered conspiratorially, continuing to lather her chest and arms. “Cause honestly I’d like to get to know him a bit better myself…” she chuckled. “There’s just... _something_ about him…” she trailed off, nipping at her lower lip in thought. “Think I stand a chance?” she asked, rather forwardly.

Rona burst out a laugh, “Hun… if we hadn’t told him ‘no’ about coming in with us, he’d be in here giving you plenty of chances as far as I can tell. As for what _I_ really think, well... he definitely reminds me of half the men chasing my ass around trying to bed me… Granted, he is definitely not like the other half chasing me for all the wrong reasons. What I mean to say is, he seems like he doesn’t care much about status or money… in fact he’s kind of like a dirty hobo if you think about it.” She started giggling a bit. 

“Yeah, but like a really **_hot_** dirty hobo!” Eroeh laughed as quietly as she could manage before letting her continue. 

Rona snickered at that and said, “Well if you really like him, then go for it. Personally I just want to keep messing with him. But I’ll gladly back off if you ask me to. You know... to give you a chance to put the charm on and _seduce_ him… which I think will be incredibly easy if you ask me,” she took one more look around the divider, catching Bishop still staring out at the crowd and taking another gulp from the Whiskey.

She barked at him, “Put it down already Ranger!”

He jumped, glancing back at her and shrugged his shoulders, stepping out of the room for a moment, hopefully to put the booze away.

“You really think so?” She asked, lathering her hair into thick, squishy suds. “I mean there’s no need to back off... I kinda just want to mess with him too, honestly. _For now_ , at least... As much as I _think_ I’d like to jump his bones, I’m not so sure that I’m quite ready to give that part of me away just yet…” she smiled, her cheeks reddening further than they already had. “I mean I’ve held onto it this long, what’s another couple of months to get to know him first?” she chuckled, dipping her head back into the water to rinse. “I mean, who’s to say I shouldn’t build up to it, right? Make sure I know what, or more specifically **_who_** , I’m getting into…or onto… eh, you get what I mean,” she finished with a flustered wave of the hand.

Rona started blushing with her. She was actually surprised to learn that this beautiful woman was a virgin too. She wasn’t quite ready to share that little detail about herself though, feeling like she might warm the bath with the heat in her cheeks alone at the mere mention of it.

“Smart thinking. I mean we did only meet him today… well, you _crashed_ into him,” she chuckled, “Anyhow, what do you say we get his fire going and let him keep thinking he’s getting a night with the both of us?” She flashed a mischievous grin.

“Then I think Rona, that it’s time we start a fire.” Eroeh giggled conspiratorially in return, rubbing a palmful of lavender oil into her wet, waist-length curls.

The two of them quickly finished up their bath before the Ranger returned, and Rona dried herself off with her quick dry spell, offering to do the same for Eroeh who eagerly accepted. Rona pulled her underwear and dress back on, but kept her boots off, grabbing them and padded around the divider. She found Karnwyr still laying by the door, all but passed out with only a couple of crunched up bits of bone from the chicken leg he was gnawing on earlier. Rona smiled at the wolf, because even though his master was a lech and grouch, Karnwyr was a real sweetheart. She made a mental note to spoil the sweet pupper later with a nice juicy piece of venison.

She peered into the tavern, but saw no sign of the ranger.

Eroeh quickly dug through her pack and threw on the red tavern dress that she’d worn the night she and Rona met, giving the girls a quick adjustment up into the top for maximum effect. Remaining shoeless she followed behind Rona up the stairs quietly to their room for the night, and crept in behind her.

What they found upon entry was Bishop, beyond drunk and naked as the day he was born waiting in the bed, his whiskey dick barely concealed by the white sheet. “Oi, Rona. Hold up a sec, I have an idea…” Eroeh whispered, setting her pack down and pulling out two white garments. One was a sheer nightdress that seemed impossibly thin, and the other was a billowy, oversized men’s tunic shirt. “Time to put on a show,” she giggled, passing Rona the shirt she knew was far too big for either of them.

Rona quickly shimmied out of her dress and pulled the huge shirt on over herself. It barely hung on her shoulders with the neck as wide as it was. She was blushing up a storm, but giggling like crazy, having way too much fun being a mischievous brat with her new friend. The two of them sauntered on into the room and looked over the passed out ranger sprawled out before them. Rona noticed the bottle of Whiskey on the end table and grabbed it. It was still half full, she took a whiff and practically gagged at the strength of alcohol it emitted. She covered her nose and said, “Whoa, this really did a number on him.” She passed it to Eroeh and then looked around the room for a minute, spotting a vanity with some war paint sitting on it, compliments of the tavern, or possibly something someone had left behind.

A wicked grin sprawled across her lips and she strode across the room, grabbing a couple of the colorful jars, taking the bright red one for herself and passing the green to Eroeh. “This is going to be way too much fun.”

She dipped her fingers into the paint and made to put it on his face when the ranger stirred from his slumber and looked groggily at the both of them.

“Hey there handsome,” Eroeh purred, pulling his attention away from Rona and her paint-covered fingers. “Hope you didn’t have too much fun without us…” she smiled, the corner of her lips pulling into her cheek with a dimple. He smirked and groaned a little, “Mmm… come over here ladies and let me take off those clothes.”

Rona threw her hand behind her back and said, “We would, but it looks like you’re having a little trouble there _handsome_ ,” she could barely get the word out without snickering loudly.

He looked down at his limp noodle, still covered by the sheet and sat up slightly, “Uh wait… hang on… lemme jus’...” he grabbed himself making Rona go brighter than the sun as the sheet slipped away and he attempted to make himself rise, “Wait, wait. No… hang on… this has never happened before.”

In an attempt to keep Rona’s red fingers out of his line of sight, Eroeh walked across the room, putting a little more sway in her step to keep his attention off of the positively glow-in-the-dark Altmer.

”Mmmnnn, yeah come over here beautiful,” he said, actually starting to rise a little. 

Eroeh’s face began pinkening as her mind raced in panic. Taking a deep breath she continued over towards the bed, fully prepared to hit him over the head with one of his own boots if she had to. For now though she placed a hand on his chest and leaned him back onto his pillow, and chuckled as she bit her lower lip. “Why don’t you just… _lay back_ , and let us take care of _you_ instead, eh big boy?” With a naughty groan and half-lidded eyes he played along, leaning back into the comfy…. _ooh, **really** comfy_ pillows.

She leaned in as if to kiss him, so he closed his eyes in anticipation, but before her lips reached his, he was snoring. Hard. “Well shit.” Eroeh grumbled with a reluctant laugh.

Rona let out a breath, not realizing that she was holding it that entire time, “Oh wow. That was a close one.” She glanced over at his now softening member and started blushing and snickering again, covering her mouth, not realizing that she just rubbed the red war paint all over her own face.

“Err…. Rona, you’ve got some of the...uh… _paint_ on you… like-” she motioned all over her mouth. “ _-everywhere_.” she giggled.

“Ah!” She held her hand out, “Gods be damned,” she muttered and then laughed a little, letting the paint coat her lips, “Well, might as well make it worthwhile.” She leaned over and gave Bishop a smooch right on the cheek, leaving a bright red imprint, like lipstick there. Then laughing at the sight of it and his lack of movement she took more of the paint and started drawing all over his face. Shapes. Lovely mushroom shapes with little round nuts at the ends. Very similar to the same one he was sporting.

Eroeh took the green paint and proceeded to coat her own lips, leaving a trail of kisses down the front of his chest towards his waistline. She then proceeded to draw what were very **_clearly_** dicks in all the empty gaps Rona had left her, even painting little green spooge-trails at the tips. 

Rona was giggling up a storm, matching Eroeh’s laughter then and she grabbed the bottle of Daedric Lava Whiskey and took a few shots of it and wiped the red from her lips, no doubt smearing it everywhere instead.

“That’s a good look for him,” she said smiling through her laughter.

“Isn’t it, though?” Eroeh giggled in agreement, smearing her own paint absentmindedly. Reaching over she took the whiskey from Rona and drank deeply, relishing the warmth as it made its way down her throat and settled in the pit of her stomach. “Damn that’s good stuff!” she sucked through her teeth, letting out a breath that she could probably light on fire. “One final touch, then he’ll be **_beautiful_**.” she laughed, repainting her own lips to place against his, leaving him with bright green lips as she pulled away with a grin.

Rona almost tipped over, she was feeling so drunk. The room seemed to be spinning a bit and she quickly went over and sat on the edge of the bed and looked back over at the peacefully passed out ranger. “You know, he’s actually kind of cute when he’s not putting his feet in his mouth.” She found herself suddenly laying down, trying to get the room to stop turning all around her.

“Isn’t he though? But I think that’s...that’s most men, honestly,” she said, a burp catching in her throat halfway through her sentence. “I think he’s got the right idea though. That bed’s looking mighty comfy right about now,” she added, stumbling towards the bed and crawling in-between the two already laying in it. “To a night well spent,” she said, holding out a fist with a smile.

Rona met her fist with her own, smiling mischievously. Not long afterwards Karnwyr joined them on the bed before Rona passed out, getting rather cuddly with Eroeh and snoring lightly into her cleavage.


	5. You are NOT the Dragonborn

The next morning Rona roused a bit from the aching sensation in her skull. Although she did notice she was resting on an incredibly soft pillow. Then the smell of awful, liquor breath caught her nose and she opened her eyes a little. Across from her was the ranger, peacefully sleeping on his own very soft pillow. His neck, face and chest were absolutely _covered_ in smoochy lip marks and floppy dongs of the red and green variety. She couldn’t help it, she started to laugh really hard at the sight of him and was burning red when she realized the comfy pillow she was laying on was one of Eroeh’s soft and squishy breasts. 

Then Bishop opened his eyes a little and at first seemed disgruntled and dazed, probably from his own excruciating hangover, but the minute he saw her and realized where he was laying he got the biggest shit eating grin on his face and crooned, “ _Good morning Princess_.”

“Oh gross!” Rona spat and sat up, rubbing her head. Karnwyr gave a low whine from the foot of the bed, noticing them all getting up but seemingly still wanting to sleep himself, he settled his head back onto the tops of his paws.

Bishop chuckled and wrapped an arm over the still deeply snoozing Bosmer and pressed his face a little further into her cleavage and mumbled, “Hmm, that’s fine, more for me then.”

Eroeh hummed pleasantly in her sleep at the sensation, stretching out and wrapping her arms lazily around his head. Her sleepy hands absentmindedly ran their fingers through his hair as she settled back down, still asleep.

Rona twisted around and said, “Good luck trying to figure out what happened last night, Scruffy, because it’s definitely _not_ what you think.”

Bishop chuckled and said, “Oh, I think I know exactly what happened. You two lovely ladies just couldn’t resist my charms.”

Rona snorted a laugh, “You mean the charms of your flaccid dick? Because you couldn’t keep it up last night no matter how hard you tried,” she rubbed her head again and muttered, “I’m going to wash this paint off my face.”

Bishop stared off after her, catching a nice sight of her rear in the oversized shirt, then he looked back down at his very soft pillow and smirked a little noticing all the colorful paint everywhere… but then he realized that the paint hadn’t been there until his face was just a moment ago. He rolled over and got a good look at his face in the nearby vanity mirror and his eye twitched a little. He got up and leaned in close to the mirror, tracing the marks with a finger. He was staring wide-eyed at himself being covered in what appeared to be kisses and… “ _Cocks?_ You guys drew fucking **_cocks_** on me! What the fuck!? What in the _fuck_ happened last night!?” He started wracking his brain trying his damndest to remember if anything happened at all.

“Mmmh come back to bed, sweetness. I was comfy…” Eroeh cooed from the mattress, rolling onto her side and sweetly rubbing the sheets. Bishop could still see the smears of green paint around her lips then looked down at himself as he figured out who was responsible for what.

“You know,” she started groggily, “Rona was trying to be coy with all the little _‘mushrooms’_ ,” she air quoted with a giggle, “But I figured why not just go all out. Do you like the details? Well…. What's left of em, anyways….” she giggled as she watched him angrily assess the multiple, _very_ detailed penises scribbled across his chest and face.

“Did you..? Did we..?” he sputtered, “Did anything happen last night?”

“Rona wasn't kidding about the whiskey dick, dear. Terrible shame, that was. We were dressed to impress and everything,” she laughed, waving an arm grandly over her incredibly sheer nightdress.

“Doesn't mean we cant make up for that now, though,” he chuckled sensually, his eyes half-lidded and dark with desire as he strode across the room back to the bed. With little warning he was on his hands and knees over the top of her. “Mmh, as nice as that sounds, ranger,” she giggled, pressing a finger against his lips before he could kiss her. “You missed your chance. Maybe you'll be a little more... _up to the challenge,_ next time,” she giggled, softly pushing him away with said finger and booping his nose. “Besides, you look like a crazy Saturalia present, and it's far too early in the year to unwrap you yet.”

Rona came back into the room, then free of any paint and saw him fully erect looming over Eroeh, and muttered with a grimace, “Oh gods, so it _does_ work.” She picked up his pile and clothes and threw them at his head, “Out now Scruffy! I’d like to get changed without all of… _eugh_ ,” she glanced at his swollen member again, blushing up a storm, “ _you_ here!”

Bishop grumbled a little, but took his clothes and yanked his trousers on. She started pushing him on his back and shoving him out the door. “Might want to take a bath too yah dirty hobo,” she said, laughing at all the ridiculous marks on his body.

Eroeh couldn't help but let out a surprised snort of laughter before containing herself.

He scowled at her and barked, “ _What_ did you just call me?”

The little Altmer just smirked and slammed the door in his face, still laughing. Rona tore the big shirt off and grabbed her dress yanking it over herself, “Ah, it’s too much fun messing with that guy.”

“Isn't it?” Eroeh giggled as she moved her hair from her face and gathered herself, rubbing her hands down the sides of her wild mane of curls.

She went over to Karnwyr, who was still happily snoozing on the bed and sat down beside him, scratching behind his ears, “So uh, you okay? It looked like he was about to umm…” Her cheeks burned.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Eroeh chuckled, blushing up a storm. “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” she muttered nervously, moving to the edge of the bed and checking her nightdress for paint. Finding it blissfully uncolored, she carefully untied the ribbon under her bust and pulled it over her head. 

“Why is there drool in my boobs?” she asked, extremely confused as she swiped a hand between her breasts and found the space slick with pink saliva.

“Err,” Rona mumbled, “Saw the ranger getting a little cuddly with you this morning,” she diverted her blushing cheeks as if turning her attention to giving the happy wolf plenty of good head and back scratches. “So, who’s hungry?” She said quickly.

Eroeh laughed, carefully moving her breasts aside and exposing the spot she was talking about. “Nice try Rona, but the dirty hobo's lips were **_green_**.” she smiled, raising an eyebrow before grabbing a rag from the bedside table. “Food sounds good though. Wonder if they have any bacon…”

“I’LL FIND OUT!” Rona blurt out, hopping from the bed and running out the door, trying to hide her burning ears under her hair.

Once Eroeh finished dressing and taming her crazy mass of curls, she met Rona and Bishop downstairs for a much needed hangover breakfast. They ate in awkward silence, though it was nice seeing just now nice the ranger's skin was under all the dirt, sweat, and paint. After they finished their meal and were feeling a tad better, they left the inn and made to leave town, only to find none other than Mr. Muttonchops standing with the Jarl’s Housecarl and some soldiers.

“Hey, imma go ask him if the other two made it out okay. Be just a second!” Eroeh chirped, bounding over and speaking to the topheavy idiot, leaving Rona and Bishop to catch up with her.

Bishop crossed his arms and raised a brow at the strange looking, straw-haired Nord. He leaned over to Rona and asked, “What’s wrong with his legs? They’re like scrawny chicken legs.”

Rona snickered under her breath and shrugged, “Guess he missed leg day during training.”

After a minute or two of watching her talk to the soldiers and that one goofy looking fucker, Eroeh suddenly became extremely excitable, running back towards her companions, positively beaming. “There’s a dragon nearby making a mess of the Western Watchtower. Irileth was surprised to hear that you and I were at Helgen and asked for our help. Now I dunno about you, but I think I want to add Dragonslayer to my list of accomplishments in life.” she grinned. “Also, it'd be a good chance to show Mr. Know-it-all we weren't messing around..”

“I could use a little adventure,” Rona shrugged, “Besides that, I’d like to get some revenge for what that dragon did to my hair and dress last time we met,” she grasped at a few stray strands of singed hair from her head.

Then she looked up at Bishop and asked, “What about you _ranger?_ Up to the challenge of proving you’re actually as good as you say you are?”

He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at her, “I’m still not totally buying this whole dragon thing. It’s probably just some big, ugly Argonian making trouble for everyone and all you idiots are running around screaming ‘dragon’, like the sky is falling down.”

Rona got a very wide grin on her face and said sing-song, “Oh, _you’ll see_ …” and she moved on following behind the group.

“Before we head out there I need to pick up something!” Eroeh shouted back as she ran through the gates ahead of them. “Like what?” Bishop asked, before watching her sidestep and vault off of the drawbridge. “You'll see!” she cackled from underneath them, as the faint sound of a keys jangling and a chest lid being fiddled with could be heard. “Perfect!” they heard her exclaim before slamming the heavy lid shut and re-locking it.

When they met back up down the path, she was carrying an enormous red rose the size of a staff. Hell, it was a staff. A staff as tall as she was. “Time to kill a dragon!” she beamed excitedly before leading the way towards the burning tower across the plains.

Rona stared at the enormous staff and said, “I never thought you’d be a staff user, Eroeh. I’ve never seen one like this before either. My ata would be very interested in it, he’s got a bit of a hobby collecting unique staves. He has a colleague out in Solstheim who designs them for him.”

“I'll have you know I'm a **_graduated_** Healer and Conjurer, thank you very much!” she huffed with a smile. “Anyways, just wait til you see what this baby can do!” she chuckled, before picking up the pace across the wide plain. 

** Setting ** **: Western Watchtower, Whiterun**

When they approached the broken down tower it was still smoking, some of the nearby brush was still on fire as panicked voices could be heard within its scorched walls. “We've got a couple of breathers!” Eroeh called back to her companions as she stopped briefly to eye the sky. Sure there was nothing nearby presently, she darted into the building and was met by three very distressed guards.

“Quickly, get inside, girl!” one yelled, pulling Eroeh inside quickly. “That beast is still out there somewhere!” another muttered to himself as he nervously checked a nearby window.

Rona and Bishop both drew their bows and examined the area.

Bishop looked up at the building in shock and awe and Rona said, “Still think it’s just some Argonian making trouble?”

He made to reply when they heard a low roar come from the mountains beyond. The Dunmer woman barked at her regiment, “Take up arms and get ready! Here he comes!”

Bishop went wide-eyed at the sight of a real living, breathing dragon soaring over the mountains and heading straight for them, “You can’t be fucking serious.”

As the beast rumbled over them all the ground shook beneath their feet and Rona whistled for the wolf and grabbed the ranger by the arm, dragging him into the watchtower with the others just as the creature set the ground aflame right where they were standing.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and prepare herself for what they were facing. She noticed the familiar straw-colored hair of the topheavy Nord cowering in a corner once more. She snapped at him, “Hey you! What’s your name? You any good with a bow? Or anything!?”

The Nord looked up at her and he said, “My name’s Gustav… I… Well I’m alright with a bow, but better with a sword.”

She looked him over, he seemed to be lacking in both weapons and armor, “Why aren’t you properly armed!?”

He shrugged a bit and she just scoffed incredulously. The tower shook suddenly as the dragon landed either upon it or somewhere nearby. The second that a blaze of fire came splashing against the stairs she knew it was up top.

“How are we supposed to fight a damned dragon!?” Bishop growled.

Eroeh grinned and loudly tapped her staff on the stone floor, causing an inky violet black summoning circle to form on the floor and acloud of thick smoke to appear within it _“Yes, Mistress?”_ A smooth, elegant male voice echoed over itself as an unrealistically handsome Dremora stepped out into the tower room. “Hello Samael. How do you feel about fighting a dragon?” Eroeh asked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. _“Of course, my lady. But you know my price,”_ he purred, stroking the bottom of her chin with a long, soft grey finger.

With a shake of her head and a chuckle, Eroeh grabbed the wide collar of his quilted leather coat and pulled him down, kissing his soft lips forcefully. “Wards. _Big ones_. We’re gonna need em. And something tells me to go for the wings.” Eroeh smiled, releasing him. _“Of course, Mistress. As you wish…”_ his voice trailed off as he strode out of the tower and effortlessly began his ascent up the crumbling side. Tying the viney strap of the staff around her shoulder, Eroeh drew her bow and ran up the smoking stairs giggling like a crazy person, having heard the beast take off once more to circle the tower. “Bishop, c’mon! Show me how good of a marksman you really are!” she called from up the stairs.

Bishop looked unsure at first, but as the tiny Altmer took off bravely running after her equally tiny Bosmer friend he started to feel like a real coward, and he wasn’t about to let these two, itty bitty terrors upstage him in bravery, not to mention let them take on a **_dragon_** all alone. 

He’d spent most of his life trying so damn hard to not give a shit, and yet he suddenly felt himself caring, even _worrying_ about those two. He grumbled to himself, “You spend one day with these two little elflings and you’re already letting them get under your skin like that? _Goddammit…_ ” 

He looked at Karnwyr and pointed at the group of terrified guards and the chicken legged Nord and said, “Stay here buddy, keep an eye on these ones for me.” Karnwyr gave a low whine of understanding and sat down near the group. 

Bishop ran up the stairs after his quarry and caught sight of the dragon as it flew around the tower, eyeing the girls predatorily. He quickly nocked an arrow to his bow and ran to their sides, joining them in lobbing arrows into the giant fire-breathing lizard’s hide, trying his damndest to get as many shots in the wings as possible.

Eroeh was busy standing beside her Dremora as he kept them warded and lobbed firebolts at the beast as it came closer. The speed and accuracy of her arrows were a thing to fear, as her movements were so quick and fluid it appeared as if she took no time to draw at all. With a cackle she nailed the dragon twice right in the eye, causing it to screech in pain and pull back, flying low over their heads and whipping their hair as it passed. “Seems the dragon’s are coming back, Rona!” she laughed, moving the hair from her eyes as she nocked another arrow. “Cause this isn’t the big boy from Helgen!”

“Fan-fucking-tastic!” Rona shouted angrily as she sent her own arrows spinning sharply into the dragon’s wings. They managed to poke enough holes in its wings that it could no longer keep itself in the sky and was forced to land.

Eroeh jumped over the edge of the roof, quickly sliding down the stone walls in a crouch. With her bow still in hand she fired an arrow at the beast before grabbing a buckled out section of brick and swung down, tucking and rolling as she hit the ground before hauling ass towards the dragon..

“Perfect,” Rona muttered. She stowed her bow back and drew both her silver blades and leapt off the tower, slowing her descent with a spell and the instant she touched the ground she kicked off, sprinting for the creature, diving headlong first towards it while it was distracted by the regiment from the castle. She snaked through its legs, aiming for its soft underbelly and brought both blades up and drove them through its flesh, flaying it quickly. It roared and stomped on the ground with the new pain underneath it and she quickly darted out of there to avoid getting crushed. The second it saw her it sprayed flames her way and she lunged herself to the side and rolled down a small hill, covering her face with her arms as the fire sprayed above her. She caught her breath and poked her head up, getting a good look at the bloodied beast.

“ _Oi ugly! Over here!_ ” Eroeh cackled, pulling it’s attention away from her companion as she hooked her bow to her back and drew her daggers, the midday sun shining through the blades and right into its eyes. As it shook its head in annoyance, Eroeh ducked underneath its chest and set to jabbing it full of holes.

Bishop stood at the edge of the tower looking out at the two women, stunned by their ferocity and muttered, “God damn… those two shrimps can fucking fight.” He felt a familiar tightness in his trousers and grumbled, “Really? _Right now?_ ”

“Rona are you okay?” Eroeh called out before grabbing ahold of a wing and ripping her blades across it. 

”I’ll be fine once we kill this damn thing!” She yelled from her spot behind the hill.

With a loud screech the dragon snapped at the annoyance under his wing and started stalking towards the tower. “Oh no you don’t!” Eroeh growled, grabbing the dragon’s shredded wing and climbing on top of it. “Didn’t your momma teach you it’s not nice to ignore someone when they’re _trying **to kill you??**_ ” she growled, stabbing it over and over in the top of the head, her little legs holding onto its neck for dear life.

Rona rushed in, coming up underneath with her dual blades and crossed them beneath its exposed throat then ripped them outward, splitting its neck wide open and sending a gush of blood against the ground at her feet.

The dragon couldn’t even roar then, only letting out a slur of wet gurgling with the gash in its neck and the holes in its head. It slumped down, finally dead, to everyone’s relief.

With Karnwyr at his heels, Bishop caught up to them and said, “Damn! Leave some of the fun for me why don’t yah?”

The Dunmer woman and her regiment gathered around suddenly and started wondering aloud about the creature, curious as to where it came from. Rona stepped aside and swiped her blades through the air a few times, shucking the blood off of them before sheathing them again and wiping her brow with her sleeve.

Eroeh let out a giddy laugh and roughly yanked her daggers out of its head before sliding off the side of its neck. “Imma snatch a scale offa this big boy! Make myself a necklace with it or something.” she giggled as she pried a particularly colorful scale loose from his neck. 

Rona noticed that Gustav, as well as some of the guards that were cowering in the tower had come out to investigate. As the small group of them drew closer though, the dragon’s body started to burn up. Everyone gasped and took a step backward, watching this strange thing happen. In an instant, bright flowing circles of light shot from the carcass of the beast and spun around Gustav, almost as though he were absorbing its power.

Eroeh yelped as the heat passed around her in incandescent ribbons, and fell back onto her ass in the grass. 

Everyone stared at the man, thunderstruck and then one of the guardsman said, “You’re Dragonborn.”

“He’s a _what_?” Eroeh guffawed in response, looking at the guard like he’d grown a second head. “You’re kidding me, right?” she asked, eyeing the chicken-legged coward disbelievingly.

Bishop stood there with his arms crossed and snarled, “No. No way,” he glanced between the shrimps and barked, “It should be one of them! They just killed the damn thing!”

Gustav puffed out his chest, getting defensive and said, “Well if I hadn’t forgotten my sword this morning I could have easily taken it down myself! I _did_ go into Bleak Falls Barrow though, and brought back the Dragonstone all on my own!”

**_(Flashback to the disaster of Bleak Falls Barrow)_ **

Gustav Thurp ran for his life as a slew of bandits, draugr, and frostbite spiders chased his girlish screaming, skinny, flat ass through the tunnels. He somehow managed to evade **_every_** trap simply by barreling through them, as was his usual method of survival. He slammed face first into the Word Wall and ran around dazed, ploughing right into the draugr that held the Dragonstone, knocking the thing loose before grabbing it and fucking off out of there at surprising speeds.

\---

Somewhere, in a rip in space and time sat an almighty deity of divine power. He’d watched earlier in disgrace as this idiot of a ‘hero’ ran around making a complete fool of himself within the depths of Bleak Falls Barrow. And now, in this most delicate and significant moment, when he meant to right his wrong and grant either of the women the power of the Dragonborn, he’d completely and totally _MISSED!_

“ **MOTHERFUCKER!** ” he roared as his power crashed into Gustav Thurp instead, granting him the dominating soul of a dragon. “Why must they be so damned tiny!? They’re like tiny little ANTS!” he leaned forward, squinting his eyes, “I can barely see those two midgets from up here!” The god pressed a claw to his head and groaned to himself, “This is all wrong. I just don’t understand it. One of those _girls_ was supposed to go into the barrow in the first place, not this **_moron_**. How could this have happened? I mean, **_shit_**! _They_ were the ones that killed my boy Mirmulinmurmur, or whatever the fuck his name was… Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have accepted that invitation to Sheogorath’s Mixer. I think that mad bastard must have put something in my drink!” He sighed wearily, rubbing a claw over his face and muttered, “It’s fine. This is _fiiine_. I can fix this…”

\---

“ _Riiiiiight…_ ” Eroeh drawled out, not believing him for a moment. “Anyhow, I think _my_ hangover’s cleared. How about you guys?” She asked, walking over and clapping her companions on the shoulder.

“Hold up,” Rona said turning to the Jarl’s Housecarl, “Any chance there’s a reward for killing this dragon?”

The Dunmer huffed a little and said, “Well I suppose we could offer you all something for the trouble.”

The trio followed Irileth back towards town, and as they were on their way, a booming **_“DOVAHKIIN”_** resounded through the air, coming from somewhere on the Throat of the World. While everyone else was drawing weapons and trying to figure out where the sound was coming from, Gustav ducked down and covered his head, with a not-so-suspicious looking puddle appearing underneath him. Everyone tried their best to not mention this, and finished the trek into town with no other interruption, save for their giggling at his expense.

The trio met with Balgruuf, for some odd reason bringing the chicken-legged coward Gustav along. Since they were the ones to actually **_kill_** the dragon, they were rewarded with a rather hefty sum of gold. However, unable to resist having the legendary Dragonborn as a Thane in his hold, Gustav was given a house within the city, a Housecarl, and some kind of special axe to signify his Thaneship.


	6. My GODS you're TALL

Taking their money and leaving, the trio stopped by the stables on their way out of town. Determined to not be caught walking out in the known-to-be-fickle weather, they purchased three horses, a pair of mares and a stallion.

Karinda was a beautiful palomino, tan with white hair. She had a calm demeanor, but really enjoyed eating bright red apples. According to the stable master, she had a habit of wandering off and getting herself into trouble on occasion just for a chance to get at the juicy fruit. She nipped a bit at Rona’s red dress and the Altmer took it as a sign that she liked her well enough… or perhaps that she was just hungry. She spent some extra gold getting her mare saddled with plenty of holsters for her instruments, and other items she expected to collect on their journey.

Smoke, Eroeh’s very un-creatively named horse, was a grey dappled mare with a bright white and black streaked mane. The mare was a supposed troublemaker with a frequent tendency to buck that the stable master was more than happy get off his hands. Smoke and Eroeh took to each other like old friends _almost_ immediately. Eroeh opted to keep her, even though as soon as she’d hopped on, Smoke attempted to violently buck her new rider, and failed. Once the short power struggle was over, it was as if they’d been together for ages.

However Faust, Bishops buckskin stallion, was just as ornery as his rider, huffing and nipping at most anyone who thought to touch him. And, just the same as his rider, was keen on nipping at the rears of Eroeh and Rona’s mounts as they tested them out. Bishop and Faust were still in the works of establishing dominance over one another as the trio took to the road and made their way North through Whiterun Hold.

**Setting** **: Somewhere North of Whitewatch Tower**

Eroeh was laughing and trilling wildly as she whipped across the tundra plains, her arms outstretched as she let Smoke run wild beneath her. Bishop was haphazardly galloping after them as Faust fought for control of the reigns, not being a very big fan of the bit and bridle in his mouth. Eroeh was enjoying the feel of the cold Skyrim wind whipping through her hair, the unbraided bottom half of her white silken curls flying behind her as Smoke let out her pent-up energy.

“Dammit Eroeh, would you two slow down!” Bishop growled as Faust finally relented and pursued them. Karnwyr was having the time of his life, not getting to run like this very often in the ranger’s company.

Rona kept up for the most part but lagged a little behind the two, getting a good look at all the scenery as they passed by the local farms while leaving Whiterun Hold. She was also people watching, and enjoying seeing the mixed bag of travelers on the road. They passed by plenty of Nords going about their business, travelers, and mercenaries, as well as a Khajiit caravan. They had even met a fellow bard by the name of Talsgar the Wanderer, and both Rona and Eroeh stopped to chat with him for a bit and played a song with him, much to Bishop’s annoyance.

After they bid farewell to the bard, having spent a good hour speaking and singing with him, they moved further along the road. As they started to come up to the last farm, Rona saw the most peculiar person she’d seen in Skyrim thus far, and quite possibly in all her life. 

They started to slow their steeds as they neared a broken down carriage with a very large wooden box in the back and a very distressed Breton man stomping around, grumbling loudly and nonsensically to no one in particular. One normally wouldn’t find this set of circumstances strange, as plenty of carriages lost wheels on the road. What made it so unusual however, was that this fellow was dressed head to toe in black and red jester’s motley, the likes of which Tamriel had not seen in centuries.

Eroeh drew her hood up around her face and groaned, already certain that this was going to go to hell fast.

Rona brought Karinda to a halt and hopped off the horse and started to walk over to the stranger. Bishop saw her and whispered harshly, “Whoa Pinkie! Where do you think you’re going?”

She stopped to look back at him. “It looks like he needs help,” she said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“ _So?_ ” Bishop snarled at her, incredulous that she’d even consider helping such an obvious madman.

She scowled at him, “So I’m going to _help_ him.”

“Augh! You and your Companions crap. Seriously? Can’t you tell he’s a lunatic? I mean just _look_ at him!” He threw a hand out, forcefully gesturing towards the pale Breton.

“Are you always this rude?” She asked as she turned away and continued on towards the Breton.

“Of course! Especially if it means I don’t have to deal with lunatics like whatever _that_ is and you!”

Rona just rolled her eyes and put on her most professional demeanor, as though she were about to speak with one of her usual Fighter’s Guild clients.

Before she could get close enough to speak with him, Eroeh was already down and talking with the man, far too quietly for either of them to hear. After a few hushed, grumbly nods from her and some very confused faces and glances from the jester up to her companions, he perked right up, playing her little _‘game’_.

“Oh but of course, kind madam, Cicero would be ever so grateful for your assistance!” he squealed in excitement. “Poor Cicero only wishes to get these foodstuffs to his friends and dear Mother before they sour, but the mean farmer Loreius won't lift a finger to help!” he went on, his voice still loud and excitable. This man was far too theatrical for Bishop's liking. “That's fine, Cicero, I'll talk to Loreius for you, and we'll see about getting you back on your way **_home_**.” Eroeh growled the last word in warning.

With a sigh she dropped her hood and looked to her companions. “I'm gonna go up and talk to Loreius real quick, see about getting this guy some help fixing this busted wheel. You coming or not?” she asked, adjusting her hair and clothes to go lay on the charm.

“Sure!” Rona perked up, glad to see at least one of them interested in helping those who needed it, even if they were very strangely dressed and talking about themselves in the the third person.

She followed Eroeh up the road to the farmhouse and they saw the farmer and his wife finishing up for the day as the sun was slowly sinking in the distance. The minute the balding farmer caught sight of them though, his face etched into a fierce scowl and he barked at them, “Oh for the love of Mara, _what now!?_ ” 

Rona spoke as politely and eloquently as she could asking, “Is something wrong?”

“ _Is something wrong? Is something wrong_ , she asks. Yes, something is bloody well wrong! Or maybe you missed the demented little man in the jester's garb, down by the road? Goes by the name of _Cicero_? Crazy fool's asked me to fix his broken wagon wheel five times. He won't take **no** for an answer. Why can't he just leave us alone?"

“He just needs a little help,” Rona said sweetly, “We’ll gladly assist him ourselves, we just need to borrow some tools if you’re willing to loan them to us.”

Eroeh side-eyed the farmer, giving a frown of disapproval. “So much for helping your neighbor. What's so wrong with fixing his spoke and sending him on his way?”

The farmer scoffed loudly and went on a rant, “Have you seen the man? He's completely out of his head. A jester? _Here, in Skyrim?_ Ain't been a merryman in these parts for a hundred years. And he's transporting some giant box. Says it's some foodstuffs for his friends and his ‘ _mother’_. Pft… He could have anything in there. War contraband. Weapons. Skooma. Ain't no way I'm getting involved in any of that."

“I’m sure he’d be willing to show us what’s in the box,” Rona assured him, “If he can prove that it’s just food would you be willing to help?”

Loreius crossed his arms and shifted his weight a little, thinking for a moment. His curiosity probably got the better of him when he said, “Fine. He proves it’s just food and I’ll help you out. But if he so much as hesitates to open that box, I’ll be calling the guard over right quick!”

Rona turned and smiled at Eroeh and said, “Let’s just go talk to Cicero then, have him open the box and we’ll get him off and along to his mother and friends in no time!”

Eroeh smiled back at Rona, waving her arm back towards the path they took and letting her take the lead. As they made their way back, Eroeh called out “Alright buddy, all you gotta do is show em _what's in the box_ , and he'll help!” she beamed, eyeing the little breton as he breathed a sigh of relief, reaching over and fiddling with the latches on the containers.

“That will do most splendidly kind ladies, as Cicero has nothing to hide!” he giggled, knowing the boxes had two levels of well hidden false bottoms full of dreadful-looking weapons of all sorts. None among them but he and Eroeh knew how to access them though, so his secret was safe for now.

Loreius begrudgingly followed down the path behind them, pitchfork in hand scowling. “Don't think for a moment I won't call the guard if you're up to something!” he grumbled towards the little mad man. Cicero simply squealed in delight, a demented string of giggles following behind as he hopped into the cart, waved his arms in a very grand gesture and very theatrically popped the lids.

“As the good farmer Loreius can see, poor Cicero is but humbly transporting these fresh bits of produce and cheese. Nothing of the unsavory sort going on here!” he grinned, trying to look innocent.

“Then what's with the false bottoms?” Bishop piped up, knocking on the wood. “Oh but that is just where Cicero keeps his money and papers is all!” Cicero responded with a nervous smile, unclipping the compartment latch and pulling out the shallow drawers. “One _must_ be cautious where they keep their money with bandits and scoundrels about!”

Bishop relented with a glare, and once Loreius was satisfied that everything was well and good, he sent them on their way and began fixing the little lunatics broken spoke. Even if it _was_ just to get him as far from his farm as humanly possible.

Rona was smiling to herself, glad to be of assistance to someone in need again. Bishop was still staring back at the jester and the disgruntled farmer. He had suspicion etched all over his face and said, “That freak was a real tricky one. Those drawers were really shallow. Bet he really **_was_** smuggling something under all that food.”

Rona rolled her eyes at him, “Oh just stop already. He was just stranger who needed a little help. Even if he was a little weird, that was no reason to deny him some assistance.”

Bishop narrowed his eyes at her, “You’re really naive, you know that?”

She frowned at him and then he looked on at Eroeh’s back and said, “And you. I still haven’t figured your shit out yet, sticky fingers, but if I didn’t know any better I’d say you actually knew that little freak back there, making quick friends with him like you did.”

Rona scoffed, “Why are you so cynical?”

He crossed his arms, still holding the reins on his horse, “ _Because_ , Princess, you can’t trust anyone in this damned world, not even the man pouring your drink. The only person you can ever trust is yourself… Speaking of. Just how long have you two actually known each other for? You Pinkie, seem to be pretty quick to trust your friend here, shit, the way you two fight together, I’d have guessed you’ve known each other for ages. But when you talk to each other, well, I get the feeling you’ve both only just met.”

Rona’s face burned red in anger at his comments. So what if they only just met? Eroeh had proven herself to be a true friend and battle ready comrade. She absolutely trusted the woman with her life knowing how capable she was.

“All you have to do is ask, you know.” Eroeh chuckled. “But you're right, Bishop, I've seen the guy before. He was travelling up from Cyrodiil the last I saw him, driving his mother up to Falkreath to _bury_ her. Her death drove him a bit nuts, but I showed him the way to the cemetery. He's just kind of... _stayed_ in Skyrim since then,” she explained, dismissively waving a hand at nothing in particular. “He’s **_absolutely_** bat-shit bonkers, but he appreciates those that help him out. He'll remember this later, I assure you,” she smirked, shaking her head.

“And anyways, what does it matter how long we've known each other?” Eroeh asked the ranger incredulously. “I've been quite honest about myself anytime you've asked me, not that I have to answer any of it in the first place.” she smirked, raising an eyebrow at the ranger who had yet to divulge anything about himself.

“Why don't you tell us a little about yourself Bishop, since you wanna ask all these questions.” Eroeh laughed, “Like maybe how _you_ know about false-bottomed chests, or why you're so _cynical_ about everyone.”

Bishop huffed at the notion that he had to share anything at all, then realized how suspicious that made him look. “Fine, Ladyship. I'll bite.” he chuckled, trying to figure out where to start.

They both looked at him expectantly while he seemed to chew on his tongue for a bit, thinking. His arms were still crossed over which indicated to Rona that he had his defenses up. She had a feeling that aside from enjoying a drink in a tavern and hopping into bed with the occasional pretty faces that came on by, that this man preferred to be alone. He was like his wolf in a way. A lone predator that kept mostly to himself.

After a quiet moment where he seemed to struggle to find the words Rona asked, “Are you from Skyrim?”

He looked at her and even that question seemed to be difficult for him to answer, “Born in Skyrim, wouldn’t say I’m from here. Traveled all over Tamriel. We were pretty nomadic.”

“We?” Rona pressed him.

He frowned, although it seemed to be more at himself for his slip of the tongue. He sighed and said, “Yeah, my family.”

“Brothers and sisters?” She asked.

“Yup. Bunch of ‘em. So we traveled Tamriel… we were hunters, surviving off the land.”

“Where all have you been?” Eroeh asked excitedly, guiding her horse closer towards him as to not miss anything. “Everywhere but Summerset, actually. Never stayed anywhere for long, though.” he reluctantly admitted. “Where are your brothers and sisters? Do you still see them from time to time?” Eroeh asked, thinking about her own siblings.

“Don’t know where they are, and don’t particularly care,” he said curtly, before abruptly changing the subject. “Hey, it’s getting pretty late, there’s an Inn really close to us, just up the road a ways. Let’s rest there for the night.”

He spurred his horse onward, leaving them both behind. Rona exchanged a curious look with Eroeh before they both pressed their own steeds on to follow him.

**Setting** **: The Nightgate Inn**

It was another few miles up the road before they reached the Inn. They’d made it to much colder territory with a light snowfall and plenty of snow covering the ground. Rona shivered and pulled her white fur trimmed cloak from her pack, yanking it around herself. She cast a resist frost spell over herself, granted it was very weak. She’d never been one to train with her magic much, always too concerned she’d blow something up by accident since she’d had a terrible habit of doing exactly that while training in the Mage’s Guild.

They brought their horses up to the side of the tavern, and Rona noticed a beautiful white stallion with blonde hair already stabled there. The minute that Bishop brought Faust up next to the other though, the white stallion grunted and stomped at the ground, as if in protest. The white stallion eyed Bishop as he leapt off Faust and as the ranger turned away to head up to the Inn the steed kicked a leg out, hitting Bishop right in the rear, knocking him down, face first into a snowbank. The white stallion let a low whinny go from its throat, almost like laughter. Rona thought it seemed quite restless, shaking its head and pawing at the ground.

Bishop pushed himself out of the snowbank, dusting white flecks from his hair and rubbed his ass while he grumbled profanities under his breath. He let it go though, clearly wanting to get away from the horse rather than attempt to confront an animal much bigger than him. He quickly hurried up the steps to the warm inviting Inn, calling for Karnwyr as he went.

Rona stabled Karinda and went up to the white stallion, who was still having a bit of a fit. She pressed a hand to his nose and whispered, “Shh, it’s alright. He’s gone now,” she smiled at the handsome beast as he calmed down from her touch, “I know, he’s a bit of an ass. We’re only staying here for the night though. After that, you won’t have to see him again, alright?”

Eroeh let out a snort of laughter as she stabled Smoke on the other side of the stallion, hopping down and giving the horse a pat on the shoulder, earning her a huff of warning. “Nice shot,” she giggled, reaching into her pack for one of the few apples she had left. The stallion immediately perked up, lightly stamping his hooves excitedly and nickered in delight at the glossy red fruit. “Oh my, are we making _friends_ here?” she giggled, passing the apple over as the horse bit down and crunched it up over her hand. With one last pat she wiped her hand on her pants and looked to Rona before walking into the Nightgate Inn..

They both stepped inside and were immediately greeted by the sight of two men glaring, furiously at each other. One of whom was the ranger, that they already knew, of course. He was sporting his usual gruff demeanor, although this time it was a little harsher. His hatred was aimed at an incredibly tall stranger.

Rona took in the sight of the very handsome fellow before them. She couldn’t quite place his race, thinking Breton at first, but he seemed much, _much_ too tall to be one. He was fully dressed in pristine steel plate armor, polished to a high, silvery shine. He had high cheekbones, a well-defined nose and a strong jawline. His face looked freshly washed and shaved, and his short raven hair was styled carefully as if he’d just got ready for the evening. Quite the opposite of their current traveling companion.

“Mara’s mercy he’s tall…” Rona heard Eroeh mutter beside her and she involuntarily replied, “Good gods **_yes_** he is.”

She burned red, realizing that she just said that out loud. Fortunately the few people there had their attentions focused on the strange standoff between the Ranger and the Paladin.

The paladin spoke then, his voice a smooth, sexy, _velvety_ timbre that was pleasing to the ears… amongst - ** _other_** \- things. “Bold of you to show your face around here, _Bishop_ ,” he practically spat the Ranger’s name and Rona didn’t care. He could spit any words at her and she’d gladly hear them all over and over again.

Bishop replied in kind, “Bold of you to assume I won’t cut yours off, _Casavir_.”

“Who's the shady one now, Ranger?” Eroeh giggled as she waltzed up, curling an arm around the top of his shoulder and patting Karnwyr on the head. “You two seem awful _familiar_ with each other... Maybe you'd like to join us for a drink, sir knight. Give us a chance to understand just what the heck Shady McAngrypants here has to do with a _Paladin_ of all things.” she drew out each syllable of his title, batting her long, dark lashes at the tall knight, causing his face to redden in surprise. “What do you think, Rona? Should we invite him to our table?”

She tried to speak, face still burning at the sight of the man and felt absolutely embarrassed when she squeaked out, “ _Yes!_ ” She turned her face away, frowning at herself and then just quickly nodded.

“Aww how sweet… Bishop look, they match!” Eroeh giggled, pointing at the knight's _very_ snowberry red face. 

Rona just made a mixed face at the woman, pleading with her eyes to not make it even worse. She could literally feel the steam coming off her ears.

“ _Talk first, stab later_.” Eroeh purred quietly, leaning in close to the rangers ear as if whispering sweet nothings. “Now then... care to try your luck again?” she giggled, giving him a sultry wink as she made her way to the counter and discussed their food and lodging for the night. They had two rooms still available, single beds only, but Eroeh figured she and Rona could bunk together. Gods knew they were small enough. Maybe then the ranger could release a bit of ‘frustration’ without them present.

Bishop grumbled and pressed his lips together, almost sulking at that point. Meanwhile the Paladin looked between the group and at the two short women in Bishop’s presence.

He stammered trying to sound noble and chivalrous, “My ladies, please tell me that you are not traveling with this **_scoundrel_**. If you are I feel it’s only right that I alert you to the danger he poses to the both of you!”

Bishop scoffed at him and retorted, “Oh please. No worse than the threat of _you_ being here. You can pretend all you want Casavir that you’re some saintly Paladin, but don’t you _ever_ forget, I know exactly who you are.”

“Hold your tongue, Bishop. Don’t ever think you can hold my past over my head. At least I have made the effort to right those wrongs, unlike you it seems. Still a drunkard and a lout it appears.”

“At least I’m honest,” Bishop replied with a smirk, turning away from the Paladin to join Eroeh at the bar.

Rona glanced back at the ranger, feeling more curious than ever about the bad blood between the two of them. But when she turned her gaze back at the Paladin and had to look up, practically straining her neck because he’d approached her, she forgot all about whatever he and Bishop were going on about.

[ **_A Careless Whisper seemed to float by, playing on the breeze._ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ)

“Even taller than Ata…” she murmured and realized she said that out loud. She expected she really _was_ snowberry red at that point. Although Casavir seemed to have the same issue, with his own neck and cheeks turning quite pink at the sight of her.

“My lady, please,” his low voice rumbled. _Yes, please_ , she thought. _Please what?_ _Please take me now?_ **_YES_** , her brain screamed and then her mouth said it, more of a question, “Yes?”

“I beg you not to suffer this vicious wolf on your journey.”

_What?_ She thought, _What wolf?_ She glanced down at a furry wolf that had padded up beside her, gnawing on a dead pheasant the others must have given him, “Karnwyr?” She asked automatically and pressed a hand to his head, scratching behind his ears, “He’s not vicious, he’s really sweet actually.”

Casavir raised a brow at her and then Bishop called back over his shoulder, “Karnwyr is _not_ sweet. He’s a wild animal.”

“He's been nothing but sweet to _us_ , Bishop.” Eroeh giggled back, passing her brandy bottle to him as she exaggeratingly batted her lashes at him. “Mmh, that's because you aren't afraid of him. You understand full well what he _is_ , and more importantly,” he purred, his eyes half lidded in her direction, “you understand what he can _do_.” With a smirk he took a deep swig, hoping that maybe if he drank enough, the Paladin would get disgusted enough to leave him be. “You've no idea what I know of wolves, sweetness. Maybe I'll take you back to Valenwood sometime, show you a few things myself.” she chuckled, taking back the bottle and throwing her legs across the space between them into his lap as she reclined in her seat.

“And I must say, Casavir, it's rather presumptuous of you to think we can't handle one little old ranger all by ourselves. We did take down a _dragon_ today, after all.” she laughed, pulling the iridescent blue scale she'd pried off of Mirmulnir's throat from her pocket.

Casavir looked on at her wide-eyed, “You fought a dragon?”

“Mmhm,” Rona mumbled, slowly finding her voice again, “We did actually. We even met the Dragonborn… although, that was considerably _less_ impressive.”

“ _Fucking chicken legs…_ ” Eroeh giggled quietly between herself and the ranger at the bar.

“You all fought a dragon though?” He started to get a closer look at the tiny elf before him, taking note of her dual blades and her bow and arrows, “You are mercenaries?”

Rona smiled sweetly at him making him go pink in the cheeks again. This woman had a very lovely smile, he thought. “Well, I don’t know about these two, but I’m a member of the Fighter’s Guild in Cyrodiil. One of Cheydinhal’s Finest!” She playfully threw a hand up.

“Jack of all trades, master of none!” Eroeh laughed from the bar, being nosy.

He returned Rona’s smile with a charming one of his own that was just as pristine as the rest of him, “I must say I’m thoroughly impressed that a dainty woman such as yourself would be a member of a prestigious Guild of mercenaries.”

Eroeh snorted her drink laughing, then groaned at the burn of liquor in her nose. Bishop laughed unabashedly at her as he passed her a rag.

Rona pursed her lips, scowling at him, “ _Dainty?_ Excuse me, sir knight, but I imagine from your height everyone must look **_dainty_**!”

The redness creeped up his neck and into his cheeks again, realizing what he’d just said and he stammered, “I must apologize my lady, please forgive me. It’s just that… well looks can be very deceiving. You appear too lovely to be the type to wield a sword.”

Rona did not know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. Why did men always have to stick their feet in their mouths? She let it roll off her shoulders then, seeing his utter embarrassment. He was far too cute to get angry with.

She smirked at him and said, “It’s fine. How about we sit down for a bite and get to know each other a little better?”

Casavir looked up at Bishop’s back, clearly debating whether or not he wanted to join the Ranger as well. He relented and said, “Yes, I think I will. I’d like that very much,” he put out a hand in greeting, “My name is Casavir Tremaine.” Bishop could be heard making a loud retching sound at the bar as he spoke, followed by Eroeh giggling and playfully slapping his shoulder to shush him.

Rona shook his hand and said, “Rona Lightfoot. It’s nice to meet you. Oh! And that’s my good friend Eroeh Whitepaw and… well it seems you already know Bishop.”

“Yes,” he scowled a bit at the Ranger’s back again, “Unfortunately, that I do.”

The pair found a small table with four chairs, took their seats, and waited for the other two while Karnwyr made his way across the inn, deciding to enjoy his pheasant near the warmth of the hearth.

Grabbing a bottle of Alto Wine, a wine glass, two tankards of mead, and a glass for Eroeh’s Brandy, the rowdy pair at the bar made their way to the table. Eroeh settled the various glass on the tabletop, and picking the spot across from Rona next on the Paladin’s other side, flipped her chair around backwards, straddling it and leaning the back against the table. Bishop took the seat between the girls and sat across the table from Casavir, both males sitting rather tensely as they stared each other down.

“A refined, proper drink for the _dainty_ little **_lady_**!” Eroeh giggled as she poured Rona’s wine. “And a brandy for the _scoundrel!”_ She laughed, pouring a shot in the small glass tumbler and passing it to Bishop. The ranger gladly took it and downed the liquor without breaking eye contact with the paladin, passing the glass back to Eroeh. She proceeded to pour herself a double and downed it in such an easygoing fashion that it broke the knight’s concentration as he looked on, stunned.

Rona looked over at him and asked, “Would you prefer wine or Brandy Casavir?”

“I apologize my lady, but I cannot partake in anything that would dull my senses.”

“Oh,” Rona said, blinking a little, “Er, well. Water then?”

He smiled kindly at her and said, “That would be fine.”

She called back to the innkeeper who seemed to have overheard and was already coming along with a pitcher of water and four glasses, he filled them all and left again.

“So Cas…” Eroeh leaned in casually towards the paladin. “Why can’t you drink? Cause you’re really missing out if you ask me.”

“Well as a paladin I have taken vows which preclude me from enjoying certain… worldly experiences. My vows are of chastity, poverty and obedience,” he explained.

Rona’s heart sank at the word chastity. _Seriously?_ She thought. _I finally find an incredible hunk of a man and he **can’t even?**_ She shrieked internally… then, she suddenly had this creeping desire to right this terrible wrong. _Someone as polite, kind, handsome, sexy and so fucking tall should not be kept from expressing those parts of himself._ She had the notion that she must be the one to show him exactly what he was missing out on.

Bishop butt in before she could speak however saying, “Wow Cas, vows against fucking? That’s surprising for you.”

Casavir glared warningly at him and promptly said, “I don’t know about you Bishop, but I’ve made an effort to change my ways. I no longer live that life.”

“Oh please,” Bishop scoffed, “I don’t believe that for a second. I know you far too well Casavir. Everything you ever did,” he prod his temple with a finger, “Is all stored up here. I’ll never forget _any_ of the shit you pulled.”

“Okay,” Rona spat finally, “What exactly are you two talking about?”

Both men looked at her and clammed right the fuck up. So clearly they were willing to allude to whatever happened but neither wanted to speak of it out loud. This only left her feeling insanely curious to know just what kind of a man the paladin was before he’d taken his vows. Clearly he’d had sex before, that much was obvious considering Bishop’s outburst. So the man was not always opposed to it… in fact he’d taken these vows to try and change. So maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to sway him back, if only a little bit.

“ _Allllllrighty then…._ ” Eroeh drawled out awkwardly, pushing Rona’s glass carefully towards her. “If you two are gonna be all _vague and mysterious_ , the fair lady Rona and I will simply have to enjoy our evening _without_ you,” she threatened, eyeing a dart board along the far wall. “Are you any good at darts? Or knife-throwing maybe? I think that old board back there could stand a dusting, and obviously these two wanna drag out their shit and bicker like an old married couple,” she went on, hiking her thumbs at the men on both sides of her. “Unless you two wanna quit being all broody and keep us ladies _properly_ entertained.”

Bishop huffed and lifted his tankard, chugging for a few seconds before setting it back down and switching his tune. “You know what Ladyship, you’re right. Why should I be bothered by this ol’ tin can when I have two lovely ladies to occupy my time instead,” he purred, trying to lay on the charm.

Rona looked at him with half-lidded eyes and then quickly said, “How about you two go play darts for a while? I can keep Casavir company. Then maybe later we can work on paying for our rooms?” She winked at Eroeh.

Eroeh shrugged, and playfully slapped at the ranger’s shoulder. “How about you? I know you can shoot, _but can you throw?_ ” She asked, reaching into one of the many small pouches on her belt, pulling out a fistful of thin throwing knives. “My my, Ladyship. Aren’t we just full of surprises?” he chuckled, downing his tankard and grabbing for the second, only to be swatted away by the little elfling. “Hands off my booze, ranger-boy. The Brandy was just my warm-up,” she laughed, scooping up the tankard and turning it up before slamming it back down onto the the table, signalling the innkeeper for another round for the pair before following Bishop over to the seldomly-used dart board.

“You ever throw knives for sport before?” Bishop asked, taking a handful of the thin, razor sharp blades from Eroeh. “Oh, you know, on occasion just for funsies,” she chuckled, adjusting her grip. Bishop took one in his hand, testing the weight and balance momentarily before chucking it towards the board and landing far right of the center. “Nice shot,” Eroeh praised, stepping up with her own sliver of steel in hand. With an easygoing side stance she flicked her arm from the elbow out to her fingertips, sending the blade towards the board and striking just outside the center circle. “Nice. Not bad at all,” Bishop chuckled, deciding to up his game.

Wanting to make a better impression, he adjusted his stance and sent the next knife flying into the bullseye, earning a clap on the shoulder from Eroeh as she took his place. With a smirk she took the next knife and wedged it into the same crack in the grains as his. “Well shit. And here I thought you weren't going to be any good,” he chuckled sarcastically, throwing while his eyes were on Eroeh's and hitting the bullseye once more. With a mischievous giggle Eroeh upped the ante, rearing back her arm and throwing hard without turning til the last second, and launching her blade right through the dead center of the wood with a loud _-crack-_. “Wanna make this real interesting?” Eroeh asked as she untied the red scarf from around her forearm. “Oh you bet your ass, Sweetness,” Bishop purred, biting his lip at her proposal.

He was all too eager to take the bright red silk and wrap it around her eyes, taking his time to make sure the knot was secure and that she couldn’t see through it as his hands ghosted her jawline and the hollows of her throat. Eroeh was loving every second of it, nipping her lower lip and giggling as she let him check the scarf from every angle to his satisfaction.

Casavir seemed disgusted when Bishop started putting his hands on Eroeh, blindfolding her in quite possibly the most provocative way anyone could blindfold someone. Rona snorted a laugh. She felt the ranger tried a little too hard sometimes, but Eroeh seemed happy about it and enjoyed the flirting and that’s all that really mattered in the end. They both watched with renewed interest as she began to throw knives blindfolded.

One after another Eroeh threw the knives with airtight precision, forming an unbroken ring around the edge of the bullseye, each blade landing with a sharp _-thunk-_ as it hit the wooden board. Eroeh took the final knife in her hand, kissing the flat of the blade _“for luck”_ before chucking it and nailing the bullseye dead center.

“Where in the hell did you learn how to do that, Ladyship?” Bishop asked, astounded and significantly aroused. “You really wanna know?” She smirked, the corner of her mouth pulling into her cheek with a playful dimple. “Yeah, actually. I do.” he responded, placing an arm at her waist and pulling the blindfold down her face to rest around her neck. “ _Cicero_ ,” she answered simply. “That weird little jester from earlier. He taught me while I was escorting him to Falkreath,” she said matter-of-factly. “The motley isn’t just for show you know, he was an actual _performer_ for awhile. Anyhow he showed me the ropes while we traveled, and I just kind of kept practicing after that to get better.” she giggled, watching as Bishop’s face contorted in confusion. “The man really knows his way around a blade.” she giggled, playfully booping the ranger’s nose before sauntering to the board to retrieve her knives.

Rona was impressed with the Bosmer’s skill. Even without being able to see she was able to hit her mark so easily. Casavir caught her attention though when he started swirling his glass of water, making the ice clink against the glass.

“So how long have you been a paladin for?” She asked him. He turned his attention back to her and she couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter a bit when he gently smiled at her. His eyes though, the color of perfect steel blue, were absolutely gorgeous.

"I have studied in the Chapel of the Nine for nearly a decade now."

_Whoa_ , she thought. Nearly ten years of celibacy? That had to be rough.

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from the city of Wayrest in High Rock. I grew up around the Knights of the Nine and knew of them for most of my life. I came to Skyrim with my father when I was sixteen. He was a blacksmith and we came here long after the White-Gold Concordat was signed. My father saw an opportunity to make money during a time when the Nord’s fears were the greatest. Unfortunately he was right about their paranoia. Plenty of people came to us seeking weapons and armor to protect themselves from the Dominion, worried that an attack from the Thalmor was imminent. He passed on several years later, Bone-Break fever after a run in with a bear in the Rift,” Rona was stunned. Her mother had died of the very same disease two years ago.

“I never did have any skill in smithing, so after his passing I sold the business. And after that, well…” he trailed off, clearly not wanting to discuss his questionable history with her.

Rona smiled kindly at him, “It’s alright. You don’t have to talk about it.”

He nodded, returning the smile, “Thank you my lady, but it is alright. If I am to be honest, I had a troubled past and I found myself in the company of criminals. After one terrible experience with those people I realized that I needed to change. I didn’t want to be that person anymore, so I returned to High Rock and joined the Knights of the Nine, taking my vows and became a paladin.”

“That’s very admirable,” she said sincerely.

He chuckled a bit and then asked, “So tell me, how long have you been a member of your Fighter’s Guild? I have to admit, I honestly wouldn’t expect someone like you to be a mercenary.”

Rona smirked at him and took a deep drink of her wine, “Well I started out in the Mage’s Guild. My ata - my father,” she clarified, “he’s the Arch-Mage of the Arcane University in the Imperial City-”

Bishop laughed loudly from the across the room, “What!? _Seriously!?_ So that makes you what? Some kind of noble?”

Rona burned red and snapped back, “I am _not_ a noble!”

“ _Suuure_ ,” Bishop drawled, making an obnoxious face at her.

Casavir was glowering at him and looked like he was about to intervene, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him from getting up and he looked right at her, burning very red at her touch. “Don’t worry about him,” she said quickly, “He’s an idiot.”

Casavir gave a genuine laugh at that and said, “I couldn’t agree more, my lady.”

“A **_cute_** idiot!” Eroeh giggled as she skipped back over and slid into her chair, drinking deeply of her replacement tankard. Bishop made his way back around to the table, drinking deeply of his own mead before sitting himself back down and leaning his chair back. Eroeh adjusted her chair, turning it back around the right way and moving it closer to the ranger’s so she could lean back into him as she drank. 

“As I was saying,” Rona said giving the ranger a look of warning, “My ata is the Arch-Mage in the Imperial City, so naturally I started out training in the Mage’s Guild. I never did get good enough to join the University though… In fact,” she laughed, blushing a little, “I’m absolutely dreadful with magic.”

“An Altmer that’s bad at magic?” Bishop laughed, “That’s astounding.”

“Half-Altmer!” She corrected him and then looked back at Casavir, “And half-Nord. My mother was a Nord, from Skyrim actually.”

Casavir looked surprised at her, “Really? I would have guessed part Breton at least.”

“Nope, that’s _my_ schtick!” Eroeh chuckled, absentmindedly swirling her tankard before drinking deep.

Bishop snorted a laugh, “I know right? She’s such a shrimp! At least Eroeh over here has a reason for being so tiny. What happened to you though Pinkie? Get hit with a shrinking spell when you were a kid?”

Rona made to say something when Casavir got very heated all of a sudden, “Watch your tongue Bishop before I cut it off.”

“Don’t hate just ‘cause we’re fun-sized!” Eroeh griped, swiping her hand behind her and whapping Bishop in the chest with the back of her hand.

The ranger laughed and Rona noticed he was a bit red in the face. He’d been drinking heavily again it seemed. “What are you going to do about it _oh saintly paladin?_ ” He drew the last part out intentionally, although he slurred it a little, “Going to pick a fight with me right here in this tavern?”

Then Casavir stood up suddenly, towering over them all, “No, but I will gladly take this outside and finally put you down like the dog you are.”

Rona looked at Eroeh, pleading with her eyes. They had to do something before the drunk and the hot-head got too out of control and got them all kicked out of there.

“Boys, don’t you think this is a little bit much?” Eroeh sighed, sitting upright in her chair. “Cas, Bishop here is obviously too toasted to realize that if he fights we’ll all get kicked out. And if he goes, you know we end up out with him. Can the two of you just wait til morning? Maybe let him sober up and **_then_** kick each other’s asses?” she argued. 

Casavir settled back into his chair and said, “Yes of course. My apologies my lady.”

“Look, we still need to earn our stay for the night, so I’d rather you two not get us tossed out into the snow just yet,” Eroeh said as she stood and dusted her legs off, giving her armor a quick adjustment before walking over to the innkeeper and working her charms to barter their stay.

The three at the table watched on as she spoke to the innkeeper, swaying her hips as she leaned against the bar, arching her back and obviously flirting to get her way. The poor innkeep didn’t stand a chance as she used her womanly wiles to bend him to her will. Hearing her let out a far too sweet and girlish giggle they watched as she took the innkeeper by the hand, shaking it in thanks before bounding back over, and relaxing her face. “We’re good to go, Rona!” she chirped as she pulled her lute from her pack and moved to the bar where she’d have a bit more elbow room.

Rona found a drum sitting nearby in a corner and grabbed it while Casavir watched them with deep interest. Bishop had a smug look on his face though, as he leaned back in his chair, sipping at his drink. He kept glancing at the paladin, wanting to see his reaction.

“[ ** _The Hunter’s Mark_**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOaCvz_kLFU)?” Rona said looking to Eroeh. With a quick nod from the half-Bosmer, she began to play her drum, with Eroeh beginning to play shortly after on her lute. Then Rona let her voice go and sang,

_Dark clouds on the horizon, Thunder as the rain falls_

_Breaking the silence, Roads ever weaving_

_Soul ever seeking, The hunter's mark_

_Face the wind's bitter fingers, Shadows as the night falls_

_Fear in the darkness, Roads ever weaving_

_Soul ever seeking, The hunter's mark_

_Wilderness wild and perilous be, Deep in the heart of danger_

_Wilderness wild and perilous be, Filling your heart with fire_

_Mountains rise in the distance, Stalwart as the stars fall_

_Fading forever, Roads ever weaving_

_Soul ever seeking, The hunter's mark_

_Face the world as the hero, Fearless as your blade falls_

_Striking the heart, Roads ever weaving_

_Soul ever seeking, The hunter's mark_

Everyone in the tavern had eyes only for them. Rona blushed a bit noticing Casavir’s staring. Bishop however had the biggest grin on his face as he looked over the paladin’s expression, “Having a hard time denying your manhood now, aren’t yah Cas?”

Casavir’s attention was snapped to the ranger then and he started to get flustered. He quickly excused himself then, passing right by both women without so much as a word and disappeared into his room.

Rona’s heart sank as his door clicked shut. _Well so much for that_ , she thought.

Eroeh strummed her lute absentmindedly for a while at the bar as Bishop and Rona retired to their separate rooms for the night. She could tell her friend was upset with the way the paladin had stormed off without so much as a cursory glance in their direction, and thought to figure out a way to remedy the situation. She sat up playing as the inn quieted down for the night, most of its patrons either stumbling off to their rooms or falling asleep at the benches. Looking hard at the door she’d seen the paladin go through earlier, she decided that she and the holy knight needed to have a bit of a heart-to-heart.

“Casavir?” she called out quietly, rapping on the wood with her knuckles. “It’s Eroeh. May I come in?” she asked, expecting nobody to answer. As the door eased open though, she was met with the Paladin’s steely gaze, his eyes still glazed from sleep. “Lady Eroeh, is everything alright?” he asked with a yawn, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. “Everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you that you really upset Rona earlier with the way you took off. It was rather rude, and very unnecessary. We’re leaving in the morning, but you should at least try to apologize to her before we head out. She was rather taken with you ya know, despite your bickering with Bishop,” she explained.

Casavir knew that leaving so suddenly would cause _some_ problem, but it was far less… distasteful than how things would have gone had he lingered. “Thank you, Lady Eroeh. You are right, that was rather callous of me, and I will see to it that I apologize to Lady Rona before your departure. My apologies to you as well, you both played beautifully,” he apologized, bowing respectfully. “Thank you, but it’s Rona you need to apologize to, not me. Goodnight, Casavir.” she sighed, bowing her head slightly before whistling for Karnwyr and making her way to the room she was to share with the Altmer for the night.


	7. Eroeh Gets An Owie

The next morning Rona remembered the disaster that was the night before and almost hoped that Casavir had already left so she wouldn’t have to deal with that awkward situation. She pulled her clothes on, fully armed herself, then took a moment to fix her hair a bit, looking in a dresser mirror and pinned her bangs back to one side. She went into the inn with Karnwyr at her side, and sat down at the bar, ordering a light breakfast while she waited for the others to wake.

She was looking forward to reaching Winterhold soon so she could visit with her father. Half a year without seeing him was too long in her opinion. She thought about staying there for a while, maybe try and train up her magic, before scoffing at that notion and thinking better of it.

Eroeh sat up and stretched with a yawn, rubbing the back of her head as she realized the small bed was empty beside her. _Guess she’s already up for the morning…_ she thought as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed. Putting her ear against the wooden wall, she could still hear Bishop’s faint snoring, certain he was still out cold. Pulling on her pants, she lazily dressed for the day and packed her usual ridiculous assortment of armaments into her gear.

Once she was satisfied with at least her attire, she walked out into the tavern, pulling her hair up into a high tail as she held her length of black ribbon in her mouth. “Mornin’,” she greeted as well as she could with the tie firmly held between her lips. She sat down and wrestled with the errant curls of her hair that wanted to fight against their restraint, mumbling a simple “Thanks,” as the middle-aged, one-eyed innkeeper passed her a still warm sweetroll, relatively fresh from the oven. “How long you been up?” She asked her crestfallen companion at the bar.

“Not too long, twenty minutes maybe,” Rona said with a light yawn, “Just finished my breakfast and I’m ready to get moving whenever you and the hobo are ready to go.”

Eroeh tied off the thick tail of white curls with a bow, deciding that she was in no mood to deal with her hair’s nonsense today. “I’ll go wake the hobo, gimme two minutes!” she laughed, taking the sweetroll with her as she skipped across the tavern floor. Quickly picking the lock to his door, she closed it behind her, leaving Rona in the dark as to what she was up to.

She wasn’t left in confusion for long though as she heard the muffled sound of sweet nothings, followed by a loud splashing, the manliest of shrieks, and a string of curses set to the tune of Eroeh’s unabashed laughter. Next thing she knew, Eroeh was running out of the room grinning like a dope, holding an empty pitcher identical to the one in their own room.

Rona was holding back her laughter and asked, “I take it the dirty hobo is dirty no more?”

“You got that right. Though he might be a bit upset about the unexpected bath,” she giggled, setting the pitcher on the bar. “Served him right for being an ass last night. I mean, he could have very well got us kicked out of here. Could you imagine if we’d got stuck out in the snow?” She then shivered comedically. “ _Brrr_ , no thanks,” she said with a grin.

Rona just laughed with her as Bishop came bursting out of his room looking wet in the hair and dishevelled, with his clothes not even properly buckled up and his pants falling down as he tried to belt them. He immediately scanned the room for the perpetrator and locked his furious gaze on her.

With a nervous giggle Eroeh quickly clambered over the bar, rolling backwards as Bishop swiped at her, missing by a hungover mile. “DAMMIT EROEH, COME HERE!” he roared over the hardwood counter, scrambling like mad through the barstools to get around to her. “Missed me, missed me, now ya gotta kiss me!” Eroeh teased as she bounced around him, making her way back to the open floor.

Bishop quickly kicked a stool out in her way, and she almost faltered, managing to escape it with just enough time to shimmy up one of the inn’s many support beams and hide in the rafters, safe from his reach. “Get down here you chicken!” He called up after her, struggling and failing to scale the thick wooden log. Karnwyr was yapping happily and hopping around beneath her, not entirely sure of what was going on, but having fun playing with his brother nonetheless.

Rona looked up at her friend, hiding in the rafters like a squirrel. She was thoroughly impressed by her climbing ability, though it seemed to be a natural talent for most Bosmer.

She got up from her seat and stretched and said, “You two ready to get going, or you gonna keep playing this game for a while?”

“I’ll come down when he gives up!” Eroeh called down from her hidey-hole in the rafters.

Bishop narrowed his eyes up at Eroeh and growled, “Oh, I’m ready to go whenever _she_ wants to come down _here_. So hurry up Ladyship and get down here. _Now_.”

“Oh stop it,” Rona said, pushing him on the arm, “Leave her alone, you’re making yourself look like a complete ass chasing around a woman half your size.”

Eroeh stuck her tongue out rather childishly then, tightly hugging the beam she was situated on.

He glanced around at the few patrons who were all staring at him. He quickly cleared his throat and said through grit teeth, “Right… I’ll uh… meet you outside.” He continued to fuss with his clothes and his gear and grumbled to himself as he swept out the door, his wolf in tow.

Rona looked up at Eroeh and laughed saying, “I think it’s safe to come down now.”

“Not gonna bother telling him you can quick-dry, eh? That’s _cold-_ ,” she giggled as she made her descent.

Rona shrugged, “Eh, he’s a Nord. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

They both headed out into the frigid midday weather. The sky was clouded over and it was snowing a little. Rona was not happy about that. Despite being half a Nord herself she’d always struggled to stay warm in the cold. She was short for an Altmer and couldn’t handle the frost like a Nord. She had no idea how she got the literal short end of the stick from her own heritage.

She yanked her cloak tightly around herself and cast her weak resist frost spell. They went around the inn to where the horses were and Rona immediately noticed that Casavir’s steed was still there. At least she assumed it was his. He’d still been there that morning and probably heard the ruckus they were making. She was a little disappointed that he hadn’t even bothered to say goodbye. 

The grumpy ranger was eyeing the white stallion warily. His own horse was right next to him and he didn’t dare attempt to mount his own steed, lest he get stuck between two very large pack animals. Fortunately Rona got up onto Karinda then, who was on the other side of Faust and pulled her away from the stable, allowing Bishop to get up on Faust on the other side.

After he climbed up and got settled in his saddle the white stallion looked right up at him, at least he thought the stallion was looking at him. Then the horse snorted and pawed the ground as if he was disappointed that he didn’t get another chance to knock him around.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had it out for me,” Bishop mumbled to himself.

Eroeh giggled as she patted the big white horse, catching a glimpse of a shiny tag she hadn’t noticed the night before. “Maximus?” she read, jumping a bit as the horse whipped its head around, his eyes on her. “Well then, Max, can you leave the mean old grumpy ranger alone? We have places to be and stuff to do, and we can’t get going if you keep him trapped here in the stables,” she laughed, rubbing his nose.

“C’mon Smoke, let’s get going,” Eroeh grinned, swinging up onto her horse and shrieking as the white stallion nipped at her side, smelling an apple in her bag. “Fine, but you have to be nice.” she said rather firmly, considering she was talking to a horse. Pulling the fruit from her bag, she tossed it up over Maximus’ head, and he nipped up after it before crunching it loudly with a whicker.

The three of them made their way down a path heading east around Mount Anthor and from there they would continue to travel northward all the way up to Winterhold.

They were barely on the road when they heard a low roar coming from the mountains. It was hard to see what it was through the steady stream of snow, but the three already knew what to expect having heard this kind of creature before.

They all scanned the skies as the roars grew louder, drawing closer to them. Bishop said in hushed tones, “Draw your bows, get ready.”

They all pulled their bows from their backs and kept their steeds moving, hoping they wouldn’t have to face another dragon and that it would move on. It got very quiet then and Bishop and Eroeh were both a short way ahead of Rona. The steady snowstream was slowly becoming heavier, nearly turning into a blizzard, making it difficult to see. Rona suddenly lost sight of the other two and was turning her head every which way, scanning her surroundings anxiously when she felt the tell tale rumble of the earth beneath her. Karinda whinnied trying to stay steady.

Rona swallowed hard as she saw a large shadowy figure through the blizzard and called out tentatively, “Eroeh? Bishop?”

The reply she received was not what she’d hoped for however as the very loud roars of a dragon came from that direction and then she saw it clambering forward, headed right for her.

[ **_Good Ol Archery_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_yJxJDRbFs)

She quickly pulled Karinda right around and spurred her on in the opposite direction. With her mare running at top speed on her own, Rona nocked an arrow and twisted in her seat, aiming for the dragon which was still racing after her, and surprisingly quickly at that for a beast which was clearly better built for the skies. She fired a shot, missing her target as her arrow shunted just above its right eye. It was difficult keeping straight aim on the back of a terrified horse.

She drew another and started lobbing arrows at the dragon, trying her best to slow it down. She wasn’t keeping her eyes on the road and with the heavy snowstorm Karinda couldn’t see where she was going and she reared up suddenly as she met with the wall of the mountain, throwing Rona off. She tumbled through the snow and quickly got her bearings as the dragon rounded on her.

Then it roared again, only this time a flurry of ice came from its throat and she threw up a ward in an effort to defend herself. It shattered on impact with the burst of ice and that’s when she knew it was all over. The dragon was too close and already preparing to release another blast of ice against her.

Then out of nowhere she saw the glint of pristinely shined armor lunge forward and the dragon hissed loudly, throwing its head to the sky as its maw met with the glistening edge of a sword. The paladin looked back at her and called, “Lady Rona! Run! Save yourself!”

She wasn’t about to let him fight this thing on his own. Rona grasped her bow and pulled an arrow out, nocking it and took aim. The second her sight was lined up she loosed the arrow straight into the beast’s eye, forcing it to reel back once more. She quickly stowed her bow back and drew her blades, running to Casavir’s side and shouted, “Let’s bring it down together!”

He looked down at her, stunned by her fearlessness. Then he watched as she quickly kicked off the ground and raced straight for the growling monster. It would be impossible to keep up with her speed in his armor, but he certainly tried, not wanting to leave her to become a small snack for the dragon.

“RONA!” Eroeh called out over the roar of the wind. Bishop was at her back, the pair remaining in arms reach of each other as to not lose one another in the storm. Arrows went flying from their bows in tandem as they made their way to the little Altmer and paladin knight. “HEY UGLY!” Eroeh shouted, pulling the Rose Staff from her back. Tapping it into the snow, her Dremora servant was summoned. “Dragon,” was all she said before yanking him down to her level and mashing her lips to his, sealing their bargain. With a purr of understanding Samael set to lobbing firebolts at the dragon, giving his master and her companions their much needed backup. Eroeh then pegged the beast in the eye, drawing it’s ire towards them and off of their petite, pink companion and her white knight.

“You really thought you’d get to have all the fun?” Bishop yelled out to Rona, ripping his bowstring back and firing hard at his quarry. The girls had done most of the work back at the watchtower, and he was damn determined to make up for it. There was _no way_ he could let those two cutesy little shits outdo him.

He ran ahead of Eroeh and her Dremora, dropping to one knee and firing fast, sending arrow after arrow into the dragon as it stomped its way over to him. As it neared, it reared its head back readying for another frost attack. Realizing he had no cover, Bishop was ready to scramble for cover when Eroeh jumped out in front of him, standing fast in the snow and throwing a ward over them with both arms splayed wide as she faced the dragon. The great beast pelted them with sharp spears of frost, many of which were held in the air as they got stuck in the quickly cracking barrier.

Eroeh cried out as some of them pierced the ward and buried themselves in her outstretched arms- her determination to keep the foolhardy ranger safe unwavering, even as her arms burned fiercely from the cold and started pouring blood at her feet. She managed to maintain her ward through the duration of the breath somehow, at least until the beast turned his attention to her undaunted Dremora servant. She ripped out the shards of ice with a bitten back scream, reached into a small belt around her thigh, and slid a gold-banded vial of emergency magicka potion out. She hastily chugged the vials contents and flexed her hands as she was enveloped in the warm, chiming golden glow of her grand healing.

“Eroeh!” Bishop gasped as the wounds in her arm struggled to close, the breath of the dragon being more dangerous than she’d expected. “What the fuck were you thinking?” he growled at her, his face softening as she turned towards him, her eyes heavy with exhaustion and lips tilted upwards in a weak but relieved smile. “I could… ask you the same thing…” She managed with a soft gasp before dropping face first into the snow, the ribbon in her hair tearing as she hit the ground and releasing her waist length hair around her head in a halo of white curls.

“Fuck! **_Eroeh_**!” Bishop shouted as he turned her over onto her back and shook her. She was still breathing, but it was shallow. That was good. Moving her legs he found the leather rings holding the remaining three vials of potion he’d seen and quickly looked them over. Grabbing one of the red ones, he uncorked it with his teeth and dumped it over her wounds before scooping her up and carrying her to nearby cover.

Rona could barely see her two companions through the heavy snowstorm, but she did see Bishop carrying Eroeh away and her stomach turned. The dragon was already stomping along towards them and she wasn’t about to let that horrible thing hurt her friend anymore.

“HEY! LIZARD BRAIN!” She shrieked at the beast as she kept kicking through the snow.

The dragon turned its head and looked back at her with its one good eye and gave a low growl. It immediately opened its maw and sent a flurry of ice towards her, she threw another ward up, focusing entirely on it to make it stronger. It seemed to hold through the blast and she realized then that her ward was bigger than usual. She looked to her side and saw that Casavir had caught up to her and joined his magic with hers, increasing the strength of their combined ward.

He gave her a reassuring look of camaraderie that really bolstered her morale. She wasn’t alone and for that she was grateful. She shouted to him, “As soon as it stops I’ll run in and get it under the belly! Focus on defense and keep it distracted! When the moment is right try to get it between the eyes!”

He looked worried for her, but she just grinned and said, “I’ll be fine! I’ve already done this once before!”

The flurry of ice stopped suddenly and the two of them released their wards. Rona kicked off again and Casavir bellowed a roar out in his deep voice, drawing the dragon’s attention to him and away from the tiny pink elf darting through the snow. Casavir held out his shimmering shield, keeping his defenses up. The dragon took two thundering steps forward when Casavir noticed Rona dash underneath its belly. He rushed forward taking the dragon by surprise, and it made to shout at him when Rona thrust her swords straight up into its guts, making it throw its head back as it roared in pain.

Casavir hurried along, moving to fighting distance, preparing for the moment the dragon lowered its head. Rona started sticking her blades repeatedly into its soft underbelly, sending its blood spraying as it shook and writhed above her. She realized then, that it was about to come crashing down as one of its legs gave out, and she quickly leapt out from underneath it. She rolled across the ground, painting the white snow with the blood that had stained her face and clothes.

The dragon slammed down onto the ground, still writhing in pain and flapping its wings wildly. Casavir saw his chance and took it, charging in the moment its head hit the ground. He could barely jump in his heavy steel armor, but managed to leap onto the head of the beast and slammed his sword right between its eyes, killing it instantly.

The dragon’s entire body slumped down into a heavy heap in the snow. Casavir carefully clambered down from its head, catching his breath as his heart slowed to a steadier rhythm in his chest. He looked around for any sign of the Lady Rona and saw her hurrying off through the snow. He caught up with her, and his eyes widened at the sight of her, “My lady! You’re covered in blood!”

She didn’t even look at him, too focused on her current task and said, “I’m fine, it’s the dragon’s blood.” She found Bishop and Eroeh nearby under a tree, the half-Bosmer looking worse for wear as Bishop was trying hard not to panic while he applied more potion to her wounds.

Rona knelt down beside her and threw her hands to Eroeh’s arms and attempted to heal them.

Casavir watched as she tried so hard to heal the wounds, looking deeply upset and holding back her tears. He was moved by the woman’s dedication, but realized that her efforts seemed to be for nought as the wounds wouldn’t close. He joined her, kneeling beside her and said, “Please my lady, let me try.”

Rona swallowed hard and sniffled a bit, biting back her emotions and Casavir did his best to heal her. The wounds closed over a little, but wouldn’t seem to heal completely.

“Why isn’t it working!?” Bishop snapped at them, “Why can’t you heal her!?”

Rona shook her head, feeling frustrated, “I don’t know. I don’t understand… it should have worked.”

Casavir said, “This ice… that dragon’s breath, it’s some kind of magic. I’ve never seen a frost spell like this before.”

“We have to get to Winterhold,” Rona said quickly, “Ata can help her. I just know it.”

Frustrated, Bishop whistled for their horses. Upon their arrival to their spot within the trees, he dug through his saddlebags for whatever linen wrappings he could find to cover her arms and dress her wounds. Being a non-magic user himself, he always tried to keep prepared with whatever he may need to clean and suture his own injuries.

“I need to get her out of the open. I can stitch her up. I **_have to_** stitch her up,” he said abruptly, crudely wrapping her arms and tying the linen off. “When we got separated, Eroeh said something about a cave up ahead she knew about, and wanted to stop at if the weather didn’t clear,” Bishop said quickly, his voice catching in his throat a bit as he hauled her limp body onto Faust with him.

“It shouldn’t be far off, and she’s losing time!” he finished, spurring his mount forward with the little elfling in his arms. Smoke followed behind them, whinnying and whipping her head in distress after her rider.

**Setting: Forsaken Cave, The Pale**

Bishop whipped through the snow until he spotted the cave along the mountain’s side, pulling Faust to a slow walk as they carefully entered. Smoke reluctantly followed, Karnwyr close behind at her heels as they made their way into the frozen tunnel. Rona and Casavir found their own steeds and pulled them along after Bishop.

Once in the cave he pulled himself from Faust’s saddle, the large, ornery horse remaining surprisingly calm and still as he slid Eroeh down, cradling her gently in his arms before setting her down along the wall. Unhitching their saddles and bags, Bishop threw blankets over the horses, pulling his bag onto his back and turning to retrieve his tiny companion, as well as her overly large black bearskin cloak.

Rona looked around the frozen cave. Although it was significantly warmer inside, protecting them from the biting wind, it was still freezing inside. She watched as her breath turned cold in front of her and shivered, holding her arms.

Bishop was focusing entirely on stitching up Eroeh and said, “Build a fire or something will you?”

“Right, of course,” Rona said quickly and started searching around for some loose brush and dry wood to use as tinder. She and Casavir both managed to find enough to make a small fire with and piled it up near Bishop and Eroeh. Rona lit the fire with her flames spell and looked on at her friend’s very pale face. Then she glanced up and saw Bishop’s fearful expression. The man tried so hard to hide his feelings, but in a situation like this he couldn’t seem to help himself.

He noticed her staring and growled, “What? I got something on my face?”

She started blushing, averting her gaze and said, “Uh no…”

“Well you do Pinkie. Or maybe I should start calling you Red because you’re _covered_ in blood.”

She looked over her cloak and hands realizing she was absolutely drenched in dragon’s blood. She half expected the Ranger to crack a joke about the other night in the tavern, being covered in red paint, but he was much too focused on caring for Eroeh.

Casavir knelt down beside her and pulled out a large waterskin and said, “Lady Rona, here, please, use this to clean yourself off.”

He passed her the waterskin and she rinsed her hands with some of the chill liquid. Casavir went over to his stallion and pulled out a small bowl and a clean rag. He came back over, sitting next to her by the fire and he took the waterskin, using it to fill the bowl. He dipped the rag into the water dampening it and carefully started to wipe away the splashes of blood on her face for her. She held back a smirk noticing a redness slowly creeping up his neck. _He is **really** not very good with women,_ she thought.

When he finished he smiled and said, “I think that will do. We can at least see your face properly now.”

She made to speak when Bishop piped up, looking around, “Hey, where’s Karnwyr?”

“I saw him following you in here earlier,” Rona said.

Bishop noticed some tracks leading to the back of the cave and muttered, “ _Shit_.” Then he whistled sharply, trying to call the wolf to him. Instead of the russet wolf coming around the bend, however, two dirty, white ice-wolves prowled in, growling low and baring their teeth at them.

“God damn it,” Bishop almost laughed out. Rona and Casavir both stood up, drawing their weapons. She looked down at the ranger and said, “Just look after her, we’ll take care of this.”

He nodded in the affirmative and the two of them bolted forward, taking out the ice-wolves fairly easily. She looked back and said, “We’ll go find Karnwyr.”

“Be sure to bring him back in one piece, you hear me Pinkie?” He said it almost threateningly. Rona could tell how much the wolf meant to him and reassured him, “We will. I promise you.”

Casavir gave his own warning to Bishop then, “If you lay a harmful hand on her Bishop, Mara help me I will kill you myself.”

Bishop barked at him, “Oh fuck you holy paladin! You don’t know a damn thing about me anymore! Does it seriously look like I’m trying to hurt her!?”

“I just know what kind of man you are Bishop,” he said narrowing his eyes at him.

“I don’t give a damn what you _think_ you know about me Casavir. You’re not the only one who left that life behind. And at least I’ve had the decency not to try and pretend I’m some holier than thou _saint!_ ” He spat the word.

“Casavir please,” Rona said, grasping at his arm, drawing his attention to her, “Bishop’s done nothing but try to help her this entire time. I trust him and I think you should too.”

Casavir sighed, relenting and nodded his head, “If you truly believe he’s to be trusted then I will put my faith in your judgement.”

“Thank you,” she said and called back to Bishop, “We’ll be back soon, Scruffy!”

“Don’t die on me in there Pinkie! And I mean it, bring my wolf back **_alive_**.”

She waved a friendly hand and departed on into the cavern with the paladin at her side.

With shaking hands Bishop removed Eroeh’s fingerless gloves and the black, outer jacket of her armor. He grimaced as he saw the white undershirt heavily stained with blood down both arms, and rolled up the sleeves, setting to work mending her bleeding limbs. Placing a hand to her forehead, he could feel she was developing a fever as her body fought to repair itself, and dampened a rag. Carefully folding and placing it over her forehead, he gently brushed her hair from her face, wondering just what in Oblivion possessed her to throw herself in harm’s way like that. For _him_ of all people.

“Bishop?” she whimpered, her eyes struggling to open. “Hey there, Sweetness. I’m here.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Where are we? Am I **_dead_**?” she asked weakly, smiling and lifting a bloodstained hand to his cheek. “ _My shirt…_ ” she whined, noticing the reddened sleeve and lack of black jacket. “It’s fine Eroeh, we’ll wash it later. For now though I **_need_** to patch you up. Think you can stay still for me while I do that?” he asked carefully, watching as her face contorted and the golden glow of her attempted healing flickered and failed.

“My leg.... Red vial.” she said shakily, struggling to sit upright, even with Bishop’s help. “Already gave it to ya. Figured you wouldn’t want me to mess with whatever was in the fancier bottle.” he sighed, pulling the empty vial from his pocket. “No… You did good. I feel really woozy though...Lost a lot of blood, I guess…” she grimaced, her arms stinging with pain as she tried to support herself. “Grab the fancy one. I’m gonna need it,” she asked softly, struggling to get the words out. Bishop carefully slid the slender vial from its leather loop, uncorking it and turning back to Eroeh.

Bishop placed a hand on her back for support as she leaned in to turn the vial up, swallowing it in one go with about as much reluctance as any **_normal_** person would with a strong liquor. “Eugh it tastes so _baaaaaaaaad…_ ” she grimaced, licking the roof of her mouth and shaking her head at the taste. “It’s a regen potion… Should help with how much blood I’ve lost. It’s a good thing that’s not the one you dumped on me, huh?” she chuckled, though her face was still clearly pained. Bishop breathed a nervous sigh of relief, glad that he at least hadn’t fucked up _that bad_.

“Okay Sweetness, I need you to lay back for me so I can stitch you up. It’s not gonna feel very nice since you’re awake, but it should hold us over til we get to Winterhold.” he explained, pulling out a curved needle and spool of thin white thread. “It’s fine, I can take it,” Eroeh chuckled, leaning back into her pack as a pillow. “But do you mind grabbing the brandy for me, handsome? I think we could both probably use a drink.” she giggled weakly, giving the ranger her telltale dimpled smirk. Even with the dark circles under her eyes, pale, sickly-looking skin, and blood smeared arms, she still maintained her daedra-may-care, easygoing nature. Bishop couldn’t help but look at her in that moment, and despite being broken beyond belief in his arms think of her as the single most beautiful creature he’d ever laid eyes on in his life.


	8. Morning Wood

**_\--Meanwhile, further in the depths of Forsaken Cave--_ **

Casavir was struggling to keep up with the spritely little elf as she hurried through the cave, picking off more wolves lurking inside with her bow. He finally caught up to her when she stopped at a doorway that was partly open. The snow hadn’t graced that particular area of the cavern either.

“He must have gone inside here… I don’t get it. How was he able to sneak by all those wolves?”

“Perhaps they thought he was one of their pack,” Casavir suggested.

“Maybe,” Rona mumbled. She pulled the door open a bit and peered inside. Still no sign of Karnwyr.

She stepped in and felt a hand on her shoulder, “Please, my lady, let me go first.”

“Oh… sure,” she nodded letting him take the lead. Casavir held his shield out and his sword in hand, ready for anything. It was a good thing too because something very undead came lumbering around the corner and crashed right into him.

“A zombie!?” Rona shouted, unsure of what she was seeing. She’d never seen a zombie like that before. It was so damn tall! And then it did something she’d never seen any zombie do before. It roared some kind of power which blast from its throat and crashed against Casavir’s shield.

“Draugr,” he grunted, holding firm and staying rooted to the spot. He thrust his shield out, throwing the draugr off of him and with one quick slash of his sword cut its head right off. The whole thing toppled to the floor and Rona just stared down at it, perplexed.

“It’s like a zombie but so big!” She said enthusiastically, “And that thing it did, what was that?”

“Shouting,” Casavir explained, “It’s similar to what that dragon did as well.”

“ _That’s amazing_ ,” she said excitedly.

Casavir chuckled, “You’re not daunted by this at all, are you? In fact, you seem quite thrilled about it.”

She smiled brightly at him and they moved on, heading further into the barrow, “One thing you’ll learn about me Casavir is that I love adventure. I get pretty restless sitting in one place for too long and prefer to be on the move a lot. Diving into crypts and caves is a favorite pastime of mine.”

“So the Fighter’s Guild really suits you then.”

“Definitely. They’re like family to me.”

“I feel the same about my Temple Brothers,” he said, “When I became a paladin it was like finding my home and family again. But you said before you started out training as a mage?”

“That’s right,” she said, “But I was terrible at it. I only ever did magic because it was sort of expected of me.”

“Because of your father?” He guessed.

“Yeah,” she sighed, “Ata just assumed he’d be able to train me as a mage, I mean, I’m half-Altmer at least, I should have had some skill with it, buuut…”

“No such luck?”

“Nope!” She laughed running a hand through her hair, “I uh… ruined quite a few classrooms in my time there. They banned me from alchemy lab after I set it on fire for the third time too… Ata always said I was too much Nord for them to handle.” She started giggling at herself and Casavir matched her laughter. She continued, “So a good friend of mine talked to her twin brother in the Fighter’s Guild and got me in there when I was about fourteen years old. I never looked back after that.”

She was distracted chattering up a storm to Casavir when he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her hard against his chest. She started blushing furiously at this sudden bold gesture on his part, but then realized he’d just saved her life as dozens of poisoned darts shot out of several holes in the wall ahead of them.

“I apologize my lady,” he said quickly, still holding her to him and blushing very red himself, “We must be careful in these tombs. You just stepped on a pressure plate.”

“Oh,” she said feeling a little flustered and dazed. She really liked the tight hold he had on her, and was very disappointed it was over when he released her. She swept some of her hair behind an ear, and turned her flushed face away from his, “I’ll uh… try to be more careful.”

He cleared his throat and said, “I’ll stay ahead, I’m accustomed to these barrows, I know what to expect and from what I can see we’ll be facing quite a few draugr soon. We’ll have to stay quiet.”

“Sure…” she managed to choke out.

She followed him along through the crumbling crypts, helping him take out plenty of sleeping and creeping draugr as they went. Casavir caught sight of a slew of deadly traps along the way, and helped her evade them. She was starting to worry that they’d completely passed the wolf, thinking he was somewhere further back the way they came.

Soon they came into a large room lined with coffins and two large sconces flanking a pair of stairs. In the middle of the stairs was another large door, also partly open. Rona crept forward and whispered, “Karnwyr?”

They heard a bark coming from the room and saw the russet wolf poke his head out from between the doors.

“There you are!” She said a little too loudly. All the doors on the coffins shuddered and fell forward, revealing a dozen new enemies. She threw a hand to her mouth, and glanced back at Casavir, saying, “Sorry!”

He raised a brow at her, his face a mixture of amusement and astonishment. She drew both her blades, and the two of them plus the wolf set forth to destroying the enemy horde.

**_\--Back at the Entrance of Forsaken Cave--_ **

“ _DAMN!_ ” Eroeh hissed through clenched teeth, fighting the urge to pull her arm away as Bishop carefully and _surprisingly neatly_ stitched the skin of her arm back together. “I know, it’s not fun.” he sighed, trying his best to be gentle. “If you just bear with me, I only have a couple more of these left to do. I’m trying to not leave you with a bunch of scars, so if you could help me by not wiggling around and pulling the stitches, that’d be great.” he grumbled, bent over her arm and focusing _very_ closely on his work.

“Sorry,” she whined, turning the brandy bottle up again as a means of distraction from her still unfinished arm. “And it’s ok if they scar. It’s not like they’ll be the only ones I have…” she grumbled, pointing a slender finger at the center of her throat towards a thin, pale sliver of discolored skin. “Shit, how’d you get that?” Bishop asked without thinking, eyeing the faded scar. 

Eroeh took another swig. “Run-in with a couple of bandits in Falkreath Forest when I was fifteen. They meant to kidnap me and take me back to their boss for gods know what, but my wolf, Nimue, came back to camp just in the nick of time to save my narrow ass.” she explained flatly, her gaze empty and aimed at the ceiling as she recalled that point of her life. “I owed her everything after that.” she sighed, rubbing her throat with a frown.

“How old are you anyways? I know you elvish types can be a bit tricky to gauge.” He asked casually before tying the final suture and cutting the thread with his dagger. “Me? Shit… twenty five as of Sun’s Dawn earlier this year. What about you, Mr. Man-of-Mystery?” she asked in turn, flexing and stretching out her hand as she admired his handiwork. “Uh…. _fuck_ , let me think for a minute,” he chuckled, wracking his brain. “We’re in Last Seed…. So twenty-six for another four months?” he answered, chuckling at how old he was getting. _Waitaminute-_ he thought as his brain started **_actually_** processing her story, _Ten years ago… in Falkreath… oh shit._ He inwardly groaned, not liking where his brain was going.

“So,” Eroeh said, breaking the silence, “I do believe I’ve earned a night out on the town after saving your sorry hide,” she chuckled, giving the ranger a flirty, half-lidded smirk as she nestled back into her pack. “That’s fair. We’ll go do something, then. Your choice, my treat,” he smiled, reaching out and taking her hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I should probably wrap you up before the others get back,” he chuckled, grabbing the roll of linen bandages and small squares. “I’m at your mercy, ranger,” she giggled, turning her arm upwards and allowing him to finish his handiwork.

Rona and Casavir slowly walked back through the cavern with Karnwyr trotting happily along between them. They were both exhausted and a little beat up after their run in with a dozen or more draugr. Casavir was rubbing the back of his head where it had smacked hard against a wall after one of the undead shouted him right off his feet sending him slamming backward into the solid stone. Rona was feeling a little roughed up too, but had healed most of her own wounds with the help of the paladin. She was holding a cracked white potion bottle in her hand and examining it closely.

They’d found it after taking out the draugr, in fact Karnwyr led them straight to it, where it was sitting on a pedestal as if it had some significance, so she decided to take it.

“What do you think it is?” She asked him while she traced a finger over the crack.

Casavir glanced down at her, while still running a healing hand over the bump on his head, “It appears to be a simple potion bottle to me.”

“Hmm,” she mumbled, “I don’t think so. Why else would it have been all alone there on a pedestal like that?”

“Is there anything in it?” He asked pointedly.

Rona popped the cork and looked inside then held it upside down and said, “Nothing.”

“I’d be careful about putting anything it,” he said warily, “We don’t know what it will do if you fill it.”

She laughed, “I don’t think it could hold anything anyways with this crack in it.”

They were nearly at the front of the cavern again, with Karnwyr moving along right ahead of them when Casavir put a hand to her shoulder stopping her with him. Rona looked up and into his suddenly melancholic expression. He spoke softly and said, “Lady Rona, I wish to apologize for my behavior last night. I did not mean to run off so abruptly like that. It was very rude of me.”

“Oh,” she said, a tinge of red brightening her cheeks. She smiled and said, “It’s alright. I just thought maybe you didn’t like the song.”

His own blush started creeping up his neck when he stammered, “I… well, no of course not - I mean - your voice, it’s beautiful. The song was lovely. It wasn’t because of that at all…” he trailed off.

Rona smirked at him and guessed, “The ranger was giving you a hard time?”

He chuckled, “Yes, something like that.” They had a moment of pause with him side-eyeing her and she feeling bashful at his slight staring. He seemed to realize it in a moment when he finally pulled his hand from her shoulder and covered his mouth, clearing his throat and said, “Well, shall we? I’m sure your two companions are eagerly awaiting your return.”

Rona turned on her toe and started moving along the rest of the way saying, “One of them maybe!” Then her face fell and she whispered under her breath, “I hope she’s alright…”

They rounded the bend leading into the exit of the cavern and found Bishop relaxing by their small fire, with Eroeh sitting curled up in his lap, gently petting Karnwyr who was very happy to see her.

Eroeh pulled her big black bear skin cloak tighter around herself, exhaling deeply as she shuddered and cuddled closer to Bishop. “ _Pussy_ ,” he chuckled. “Shuddup!” Eroeh grumbled in return, trying to keep herself warm. “Stupid Nords and your stupid warm bodies…” she mumbled as she buried her face in his open jacket and nuzzled into his undershirt to warm her frozen nose. “Good to see you found Karnwyr alright. Find anything good back there? Eroeh was telling me a bit ago about how **_interesting_** this place was supposed to be,” he asked, ruffling the messy white mop of curls poking out from under the pelt. “Welcome back!” Eroeh sniffled happily, her nose and cheeks very pink compared to the rest of her pallid face.

“Lady Eroeh,” Casavir breathed with relief, “I’m pleased to see you’re awake and well.”

Rona ran right over to them and knelt down by Eroeh, grasping her hand, “I’m so glad you’re okay! And well,” she held out the white potion bottle and said, “We found this, or rather, I should say Karnwyr did. It seemed important, but I don’t know if there’s anything special about it.”

Casavir settled down by the fire with the rest of them and noted, “I say we be careful with it for now, but perhaps you can take it to an apothecary and see if it has any value.”

Eroeh squinted to focus her vision and reached out to take the bottle from Rona and inspect it herself. “If this is what I think it is, the apothecary isn’t going to be happy about it.” Eroeh sighed, eyeing the large crack in the glass. “The guy in charge of the shop in Windhelm has been looking for this, I think. Guy by the name of Nurelion, or something like that. He asked me a while back if I could keep an eye out for it while I was out wandering,” she explained. “It’s supposed to be a super cool magical bottle or something. Offered a good bit of gold if I could find it. But I dunno how he’s gonna feel about it being busted,” she sighed, passing it back to Rona. “Anyways I think the College is a bit more important right now. Bishop got me fixed up, but I don’t think the wounds are gonna heal without a bit of help,” she explained, letting the pelt fall, exposing her neatly bandaged arms.

Rona smiled at her, “We can see Ata. He’ll get you fixed up I promise.”

They looked out at the blizzard that was still going in full force and Bishop sighed, “Won’t be leaving for a while it looks like. Not with this storm going,” he got up and said, “I’ll get a stew boiling at least so we have something to eat. Mind helping, Pinkie?”

Rona pursed her lips, “Err…”

He looked at her with half-lidded eyes, “ _Please_ tell me you know how to cook.”

“I never really had to learn,” she said sheepishly.

He scoffed at her and rolled his eyes. Then Casavir chimed in, “I can help. I know simple prep work.”

Bishop’s lip curled a little at that suggestion. But after a moment he relented and said, “Fine, follow me _Rusty_ …”

Casavir frowned at that remark, but not wanting to pick another fight with the ranger decided to keep his mouth shut and followed him to their horses where all their supplies were stored in saddle bags.

Rona said, “I’ll get the horses fed and make sure they’re settled in for the night.”

The group got to work getting their small camp set up for the evening. Rona took care of rolling out the bedrolls and setting up their tents, facing away from the cave exit to keep the chill out. She got Eroeh tucked in under a tent with Karnwyr and a few spare blankets she had. 

As Bishop got started preparing their food, Casavir began undressing from his armor, down to his linens and Rona couldn’t help but stare at his back for moment as he set his heavy plate mail aside. His armor had been hiding the pure and simple fact that the paladin was positively _stacked_. She could see all of his rippling muscles through the tight fabric of his shirt, and her eyes started to travel downwards, resting on his fine ass for a moment. 

The minute he turned around though she caught sight of something else that was… bulging a bit. She could not help but gape at it, not even realizing she hadn’t moved for a minute or more, until he cleared his throat and her eyes traveled back up his amazingly toned torso to meet his handsome eyes. If she was feeling a bit chilly before she wasn’t now. She quickly averted her gaze and started fumbling around her bag for her flute, trying to keep herself busy and distracted lest she begin staring again.

Casavir joined Bishop then in preparing their food, both doing their best to keep their sharp tongues to themselves the entire time. Rona sat down next to Eroeh and started to quietly play on her flute when she paused for a minute and leaned over and said, “Is it just me or are those two actually playing nice for once?”

“I know right? It's kind of cute, dontcha think?” Eroeh giggled, leaning gently into Rona. “You know what, I know it's all bloody and stuff, but screw it. I'm getting my jacket. I need that resist frost since my hunky ball of warm is occupied,” she grumbled, standing briefly and walked over to her pack. Reaching over she grabbed the bloodstained garment that'd been draped on top to dry, and groaned at the crusted sleeves.

Before she could turn around, Bishop shucked off his own jacket and draped it over her shoulders; his tan, scarred arms visible with his sleeveless undershirt. “Here. I'll see what I can do about the blood,” he muttered quietly, trying not to look her in the eyes. “Won't you get cold, though?” Eroeh asked sheepishly, blushing more as she drowned in the far-too-big-for-her coat. “Nah. I'm a Nord, sweetness, I was born for the cold,” he laughed, shooting her a flirtatious smile. “Oh… okay then. If you really don't mind…” she muttered, slipping her small arms into the sleeves and laughing at just how much flappy leather remained past her hands.

Rona shot Eroeh a teasing smirk seeing how chivalrous Bishop was being with her. Casavir drew her attention back however as he diced up some vegetables for the stew, “Are you already done playing? I must say, I was enjoying the music.”

Eroeh grabbed her lute as well as she could through the oversized jacket sleeves and brought it around to Rona. “I was too. Wanna play together? I can't move too well to do it myself…” she asked, smiling at the Altmer hopefully.

“Yes definitely!” Rona smiled back, “In fact you don’t even have to ask, just drop a lute or any other instrument in my lap and I’ll start playing right away,” she laughed, “So, what did you want to sing?”

Eroeh thought for a moment and walked back over to her pack, digging for one of the several journals thrown about the bottom. She pulled out a soft, doeskin journal with a blue ribbon wrapped around it, and turned back towards Rona with a grin. “Anything out of here will work. I’ve had this collection going for awhile now. Since before I moved here, actually. This songbook used to be my mothers.” She smiled softly, thinking of her mom and how much she missed the sound of her voice. “Personally this one here is a favorite of mine,” she explained, flipping the pages and pointing out one song in particular. “It’s called Landslide. Think you can do it?” She asked nervously, knowing that sometimes just playing something for the first time on the spot could be tricky.

Rona took the songbook and looked it over, reading through the notes and humming the melody, getting a feel for it. She grinned and said, “Let’s give it a go!”

With a smile, Eroeh took a seat next to Rona by the fire and waited for her to get the hang of the strumming pattern before starting to sing.

[ **_Landslide_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEVDFI2SDKA)

_I took my love, I took it down  
Climbed a mountain and I turned around  
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills  
'Til the landslide brought me down  
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?  
Can the child within my heart rise above?  
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?  
Can I handle the seasons of my life?  
Well, I've been afraid of changing  
'Cause I've built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Even children get older  
And I'm getting older, too  
Well, I've been afraid of changing  
'Cause I've built my life around you  
But time makes you bolder  
Even children get older  
And I'm getting older, too  
I'm getting older, too  
Ah, take my love, take it down  
Oh, climb a mountain and turn around  
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Well, the landslide will bring it down  
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills  
Well, the landslide will bring it down  
Oh, the landslide will bring it down_

Rona looked up to see both men paused from their cooking, just listening quietly. “I think we might have broken them,” Eroeh giggled, tapping Rona’s shoulder with a grin. “You’d think they’ve never heard a woman sing before…” she mused, shaking her head. 

“ _Apparently_ ,” Rona replied with an amused laugh.

“Singing sure makes me thirsty, huh?” she chuckled awkwardly, trying to break the silence. She reached over and grabbed her bottle of Brandy, and proceeded to struggle with removing the cork. After a minute of not-so-carefully fighting with it, she let out a yelp as she popped one of her stitches. “ _Dammit!_ ” She hissed, quickly shrugging out of her borrowed jacket to check the damage, seeing that she was starting to bleed through her bandage in one spot.

“How the fuck am I going to **_do_** anything if this shit doesn’t heal!” she growled quietly to herself, putting pressure on her forearm as Bishop shook himself out of whatever trance their singing had put him in, and made his way towards her. “ _You **jackass!**_ If it was that much trouble, why not just ask someone else to open it for you? I worked hard on these stupid stitches, I don’t need you ripping ‘em out for something this dumb!” he griped, sighing as he unwrapped her arm and inspected her wounds. “I’m sorry, I thought I could do it myself…” she muttered in embarrassment as he looked down at her, his expression softened. “I’m not used to asking for help, ok? ...I’m usually the one being **_asked_** ,” she grumbled.

“My lady, if I may, I could try to heal you again,” Casavir offered.

“I know a numbing spell that can help with the pain,” Rona said.

“I dunno… I’d like to have Bishop re-stitch it first, just in case Casavir… Though numbing it first does sound nice,” she chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.

Rona obliged, she held a finger to her mouth and whispered an incantation, then touched the wounds, completely numbing them from any sensation.

“Wow, I can’t feel it at all!” she laughed, poking around her arm in astonishment. Bishop side-eyed the Altmer, giving a low chuckle and lupine grin. “Wonder what else that could be good for,” he mused aloud, grabbing his kit and starting to work on fixing the section of busted stitches.

Rona raised a brow at him and Casavir muttered, “Disgusting lech…”

“Oh like you didn’t think of it just now too, _paladin_ ,” Bishop scoffed. He got to work on fixing the stitch on Eroeh’s arm. Eroeh giggled and raised an eyebrow at the ranger as he worked, and shivered. “Chances are we’re gonna be in here at least til morning. I don’t see this letting up anytime soon.” She sighed, watching her breath fog up as she spoke. “Gonna be cold tonight. We spooning again?” She asked Rona, giggling as the paladin turned red next to her. 

“Considering how c-cold it is,” Rona said through chattering teeth, “I w-wouldn’t m-mind if you don’t!”

“Shit, I don’t think we’ll be able to keep warm enough with just us, gods know we’re both freezing in here as it is.” She looked at Karnwyr, “Maybe with Karnwyr between us we’d have a _little_ bit of help…”

Bishop laughed and turned his eyes up from his work, a sultry smirk spreading across his face. “I can keep you warm, if you want, Ladyship,” he purred. Eroeh thought on it for a moment, then looked over at the paladin, too cold to be phased by the ranger’s flirting. “Hey, Cas. Come here for a second.”

Confused, the paladin obliged, and was met with her frigid fingers quickly slipping into the collar of his tunic. “ _Mmmh….so warm…_ ” she hummed, having an idea. “How about you _both_ keep us warm? It looks like you two aren’t having near as much trouble with the temperature in here as we are, and I mean, you put off enough heat. So what do you say? Think you could help us out?” she asked nonchalantly, looking between the two. Bishop’s mind was already **_very_** obviously racing with dirty ideas, but she wasn’t sure what to think of the paladin’s startled face.

Rona’s chattering teeth could be heard echoing throughout the entire cavern. Casavir looked over at her, furrowing his brows a bit. He certainly couldn’t leave them to just freeze through the night, and certainly it wouldn’t be any harm to assure they survived and stayed warm, even if he had to use his body temperature to do so.

He got up and went over to Maximus, pulling his thick bear skin cloak from one of the saddle bags and stopped behind Rona, draping it over her shoulders. She was nearly buried beneath the huge cloak but she appreciated it all the same. Casavir sighed and said, “I will sleep nearby to keep you both warm.”

Rona turned and looked up at him, his face was burning bright red. She said, “That’s very kind of you Casavir. I know I’ll appreciate it.”

“O-of course my lady,” he stammered and then went back to finishing their dinner. The four of them and Karnwyr ate well enough before finally going to lay down and deciding on their sleeping arrangements. Bishop insisted the girls meet in the middle so as to keep Casavir as far away from him as possible. So Eroeh and Rona curled up together in the middle, still fully clothed, trying their best to stay insulated.

Rona kept her cloak on and Casavir draped his own over the both of them, taking up residence behind her. He struggled finding a comfortable way to lay beside her, when finally she grabbed his arm and yanked it over her waist, forcing him to rest it on her midriff and pulled him a bit closer, behind her. He was extremely warm in that moment and she wondered if it was because of his own furious blushing.

Eroeh of course had no trouble getting Bishop to spoon in close to her beneath her bearskin cloak, his arm wrapped securely around her middle with his face buried in her hair. With a sigh she let herself doze to the sound of his soft snoring.

**_\--- THE NEXT MORNING---_ **

Rona roused to the quiet snores coming from both Eroeh and Bishop. Thankfully she’d slept very well all through the night, and stayed incredibly warm. She realized though, that she was trapped between Casavir and Eroeh and couldn’t very well move or get up without waking them. 

She also noticed something very… _firm_ , pressed to her rear. Her face started to burn absolutely crimson when she realized what it was.

She slowly inhaled, brought a hand up from under the pile of cloaks and blankets covering them, and poked Eroeh on the shoulder, whispering to get her attention, “Eroeh… Pst, hey, _Eroeh_.”

Eroeh squinted her lids together and fought to focus her eyes, struggling to wake up. She was so warm and cozy curled up with the ranger that she wasn’t entirely sure how long it’d been. She certainly knew how **_HARD_** it was though, feeling Bishop pressing firmly against her bottom. “Rona?” she groaned softly, trying to carefully pull away from the ranger’s **_very_** stiff member.

“He’s…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She threw her head over her shoulder, motioning to the very asleep paladin behind her. “Well… he’s… it’s… hmm…” she pressed her lips together trying to indicate what was currently pressed against her rear to her friend.

“Does he have a **_boner_**?” Eroeh asked plainly, stifling a laugh.

“ _Yes_ ,” she whispered back. Then she noticed Eroeh’s very strained expression, and her eyes went half-lidded, “Him too?”

“ ** _OH YEAH._** ” Eroeh whispered loudly, still trying to wriggle away from the soundly sleeping ranger. “He’s sure got a hell of a grip on me though, jeez. I can’t get loose!” she snickered, wondering how in the fuck they were gonna get out of this.

“Eroeh… he’ll _die_ if he knows I… that I’m feeling it right now. _What do I do!?_ ” She tried to stay shushed, looking desperately at her friend.

“Do I look like I’m in **_any_** better of a predicament here?” Eroeh quipped, flaring her nostrils as she tried to carefully pull herself loose. “Almost there…” she breathed, managing to pry his fingers loose from beneath her. As cautiously as she possibly could, she picked up Bishop's arm and rolled out from under him, leaving her rumpled up cloak in her place. “Just get his hand loose and try not to wake him!” Eroeh whispered, showing the Altmer what she’d done. “Maybe if the cloak is still there, he won’t realize we’ve got up until you’re free!” she said, attempting to use her light fingers to help her get loose.

Rona tried to carefully wriggle her way out from Casavir’s very firm grip, but she was so tiny, and his arm was so massive. She slowly started to snake her way downward, all the while feeling his very stiff morning wood pressing up against her back when suddenly he moved and considering her new position against him, he wrapped his entire hand around one of her breasts, gripping it and pulling her even closer. 

She couldn’t help but release an anxious squeak which woke him up. It took a minute for Casavir, in his sleepy haze, to realize that he was very tightly snuggling the tiny Altmer, even _fondling_ her. When his brain started to fully function he released her suddenly, pulled back as quickly as he could, and immediately started to apologize, “Lady Rona! I’m so sorry! Please forgive me my lady! I did not mean to smother you like that!”

She pushed herself up and without looking at him, hiding her own embarrassment said, “It’s fine. I just didn’t want to wake you.”

Then she saw Bishop, wide awake, staring right at her with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, “Wow, Pinkie. Looking like a snowberry. I take it you got a rude awakening at the back door this morning?”

Eroeh couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter at the situation, considering she’d narrowly escaped the same situation herself. Her face then began blossoming its own shade of blush, though not near as furiously as her companion.

This was not lost on Bishop, as he wiggled his eyebrows and flashed a pearly grin in her direction. “You can't say much, ranger. I'd check myself if I were you,” she giggled, her eyes darting down to his bulging loins and back up to meet his gaze.

He gave a low, sultry chuckle before brushing a lock of hair out of Eroeh's face. “Oh I'm well aware, darlin’. But what else would you expect to happen when I've been bedded down with two beauties all night?”

Rona quickly got up, not looking at any of them and hurried over to Karinda noting the weather, “Looks like the storm finally stopped! I’m ready to go whenever!”

Casavir quickly pulled himself together, also turning away from the others to collect his armor and properly dress himself.

Bishop stood up, stretching and yawning and started to tear their camp down, not even bothering to try and get the two blushing snowberries to come back over and help him. 

Bishop reached out and carefully looked over Eroeh’s arms, checking to see how her bandages held overnight, and with her help began breaking down their camp. She helped where he’d allow her to, but was grumbled at and swatted away whenever she tried to overexert herself by the watchful ranger.

After helping get the smaller parts of their camp packed and reaching the peak of her frustration, Eroeh sat off to the side and attempted to heal herself once more. Bishop stopped what he was doing and watched in awe as her body was cast in a warm golden glow, the soft chime of healing magic heard amongst the silence of the campsite. The light pulled away from her body and drew up around her arms, flickering as it struggled to take. With an angry grumble she gave up, and the glow petered out. “This is annoying,” she groaned, turning and strapping her things to Smoke. “What the hell did I even go to College for if I can’t even fix my fucking _self_.”

“It’ll be alright Eroeh, I promise my ata will be able to help. He’s not the greatest healer, but he’s an expert alchemist. And if anything I’m sure the Restoration Master will be able to heal you.”

“Colette is pretty good at what she does, but she also showed me all I know. I don’t know how much more she’ll be able to help us.” Eroeh argued with a soft sigh, not entirely sure what she’d do if she didn’t regain the full use of her arms. “Maybe I’ll learn something new while we’re there. I can only hope that whatever it is, it works.”

Casavir was stowing away his bedroll and cloak when he asked, “You’re headed to the College of Winterhold?”

“That’s right,” Rona said.

“I was on my way there as well. I’ve been tasked with brushing up on my Restoration and sent by my superiors to see what the College of Winterhold has to offer.”

Rona smiled at him and said, “You could probably learn a thing or two from my ata then. He’s been substituting for the Destruction Master for the last six months while she’s out on maternity leave. He’s the one we were traveling to see in the first place.”

His eyes widened in surprise, “Truly? It really is a small world then, Lady Rona.”

She felt her face burning again and laughed a little, “Uhh… well yes I suppose so…”

Eroeh snorted a little, trying to keep from laughing. “Well that’s rather convenient, then. Well Casavir, Restoration and Conjuration are the only schools of magic I actually bothered to finish before I lost interest, so I can get you in with Master Marence no trouble. She doesn’t get enough students dedicated enough to her field of magic to produce many graduates, so she’ll be happy for someone eager to learn. I’ve found that I’m more for _hands-on_ activities myself to be honest,” she giggled, wiggling her fingers mischievously at Bishop.

“By all means, Sweetness. I’d love to see you try and pickpocket my clothes off without me noticing again,” he huffed, smirking as both Rona and Casavir began turning red again. Eroeh simply winked in his direction before hopping up onto Smoke as carefully as she could.

The group all mounted their steeds and set off for Winterhold. They spent two days on the road heading north, stopping only to eat and sleep all the while Eroeh and Bishop’s flirting was becoming more and more vulgar with each passing day. Rona started to suspect the two were purposely trying to elicit reactions from both her and Casavir. (they totally were)

With the Bosmer and the Ranger keeping each other company at the head of the pack most of the way up, Rona spent almost all of her time with Casavir, lightly flirting herself when she could out of earshot of the other two. He remained polite and chivalrous with her however, only mildly blushing whenever she would comment on his stature considering she was always looking up at him. She admired his swordsmanship and asked if he could help train her on a sword and shield while he in turn replied that he would if she would show him how to dual wield. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) *wink*


	9. Atiiieee!!!

**Setting: Winterhold**

As they approached the snowy ruins of what was left of Winterhold, Eroeh pulled ahead of the others on Smoke, guiding the mare to the town’s much needed stables, and settling her in with the stable master. “I can get us in without too much trouble, Nirya or Faralda should be minding the entryway. They both know me,” she explained, unbuckling her pack from Smoke’s saddle and throwing it over her shoulder.

She also made sure to bring along her Sanguine Rose, as Rona had mentioned her father’s interest in unique staves back in Whiterun. “I wanna talk to Colette and your father as soon as possible, and see what we can do about my arms before I give you guys the full tour. In a nutshell though, it’s a frozen trash heap compared to how it used to be. Half of the town sank into the sea forever and a half ago, and most of the people who live here suspect the College had something to do with it.”

Thinking for a moment, Eroeh reached out and took the Altmer’s hand. “Also, I wouldn’t expect a very warm welcome from the natives. They’re pretty racist up here, though not as bad as they are down in Windhelm,” she sighed, her eyes darting about the ruins of the town at all the odd glances their party was getting as they walked along. “They might remember _me_ , but I’m not gonna take my chances. Honestly the Innkeeper and the Court Wizard are the only friendly locals.”

“Hm, I’ll keep that in mind,” Rona said frowning a little.

Casavir put a kind hand to her shoulder and said, “Even I have faced some mild hostility from the Nords as a Breton. But worry not my fair ladies, I absolutely will not tolerate any scoundrels treating either of you poorly.”

Bishop scoffed, “And just what exactly is the _saintly_ paladin going to do about it? Especially when you’ve got all those vows to keep up with… no, what you ladies need is a real man who’s not afraid to make the hard choices. I’ll gladly gut anyone who doesn’t know how to keep their sharp tongue in their mouth.”

Rona rolled her eyes and started to move on ahead, keeping pace with Eroeh and saying, “Sounds like you’ll just be picking a fight with yourself Scruffy.”

Bishop looked at her with half-lidded eyes while Eroeh giggled and Rona glanced back flashing him a cocky grin.

As they approached the large stone bridge leading up to the College, they were met by Faralda, the College’s Destruction Trainer. “Halt, who goes…. _Eroeh?_ ” the tall Altmer sorceress asked with a smile as the tiny elfling grinned up at her. “Hey Faralda. Mind opening the gates for us? I need to see Colette pretty urgently,” she explained, flashing her blood-crusted sleeves. “I’ve got stitches holding me together for now, but I dunno how long they’ll hold. Had a run-in with a dragon back at Mount Anthor on the way here.”

Faralda took one look at the girls torn clothes and the exposed bandages beneath and quickly waved them on, guiding them across the bridge. “A dragon? Do you know how absurd that sounds? The dragons have been gone for ages,” she scoffed, not sure what to think. “Well that may be true, but I guarantee you, _they’re back._ The one on Mount Anthor is the third one we’ve seen this week since I got back into Skyrim,” Eroeh laughed, taking Rona’s hand as they passed across the more broken down parts of the bridge.

“By the way,” Eroeh groaned. “Is Arch-Mage Thoraminh busy? This is his daughter, Rona. She’s come from Cyrodiil to see him,” she asked, gritting her teeth as her arms became sore. “Not too busy as to not see the beloved daughter he’s been so busy telling all of us about,” she chuckled, regarding Rona with a warm smile.

“Oh nooo… _Ataaa,”_ she whined throwing a hand to her face. _Of course_ he would constantly be gushing about her. Even as a failed mage her father was very proud that she’d found her own path excelling in the Fighter’s Guild. He had a bad habit of bragging about her to his colleagues, and really anyone who’d listen.

As they approached the towering metal gates of the College, Faralda waved her hand and muttered an incantation, opening them. “Colette should be in the Hall of Elements giving a lecture right now. I don’t think she’ll mind the interruption with it being one of her favorite pupils, though,” Faralda smiled, guiding the foursome plus Karnwyr into the much warmer building.

Eroeh walked in, spotting her old instructor going on as she normally was about how Restoration was a respectable school, and how it should be held in higher regard than it was, and smiled. “Hey Master Marence!” she called out, chuckling as the middle-aged Breton recognized her and grinned. “Oh, Miss Whitepaw! What brings you back to the College?” she asked enthusiastically.

Her smile soon turned to a look of horror as Eroeh held out her arms with a reluctant smirk. “Tried everything I know of, but I can’t seem to heal it completely. My friend here stitched me up in the meantime to hold it together, but I figured you might know something I don’t,” she explained sheepishly. Colette Marence rushed across the lectern with a gasp and looked at her bloodied sleeves before sending the class away with a rushed “Class dismissed. Onmund, please retrieve the Arch-Mages, Quickly!”

As the dark haired Nord in question nodded and headed towards the stairs, Eroeh called out a quick, “Good to see you too, Onmund!” and whined as Colette began fighting with the sleeves of her jacket, opting to untie and remove it for simplicity’s sake. “What in Oblivion did you get yourself into, Eroeh?” the Breton asked, carefully unwrapping her dirty bandages and observing her stitches. “A dragon up on Mount Anthor. It thought we’d all make a good snack while we were travelling the pass on the way here. Too bad for it that we were in a hurry.” she chuckled, trying to keep the mood light.

“Always the jester, Miss Whitepaw,” Colette fussed, using her healing magic to see into Eroeh’s arm and check the internal damage. “I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years,” she murmured, looking at just how ragged the insides of her arms were beneath the surface.

“And you tried everything I taught you?” she asked. “Yes, Master Marence. I wouldn't have bothered you with it if I hadn't done everything I could think of _first_ ,” Eroeh groaned.

“Even Grand Healing?”

“ ** _Yes_**.”

“And it did _nothing?_ ”

“Is there an echo in here? _Yes_ , I told you, the wounds won't budge.” Eroeh griped, hissing a bit as her old instructor poked and prodded her stitches. “Well little miss, I must say your needlework is **_spectacular!_** ” Colette said, praising Rona. “These stitches are very neat and sturdy. It's been quite awhile since I've seen thread work of this caliber!”

“Um… actually Master Marence, she didn't sew me up... **_He_** did-” Eroeh corrected awkwardly, tipping her head towards Bishop since her arms were immobilized. “Well then color me surprised. Well done sir. I assume you do this often then?” she asked casually, barely taking her eyes from Eroeh's wounds long enough to give him a once-over. “You could say that,” he answered simply, crossing his arms.

As the Restoration Master continued fussing with Eroeh’s wrists the young Nord, Onmund, reappeared from the main entryway flanked by two elves. The shorter of the two, Rona guessed was her father’s good friend and colleague Arch-Mage Savos Aren. He was a very old Dunmer, and dressed head to toe in some very warm-looking, fur-trimmed robes. He had a thick brown and grey beard that had been tied in a knot.

Next to him, towering over the Dunmer at a tall six foot, five inches was her father, Arch-Mage Serlas Thoraminh. He was a full-blooded Altmer in every sense of the word, with golden skin and golden eyes. In his old age, his long straight hair and beard had become a soft white color. He was wearing his usual blue mages robes, nothing particularly fancy, except for a nice silver trim on the sleeves as he often preferred practical over stylish.

His eyes sparkled at the sight of her and a wide grin drew across his face. “Velvyn!” He cried.

“Ata!” She absolutely couldn’t contain her excitement. It had been over six months since they’d seen each other, and that was much too long to be apart from her favorite person in the world. She ran over to him, embracing the old Altmer. He had to kneel a bit of course, just to get his arms around her.

“Well isn’t this a surprise?” He said giving her a tight hug before pushing her shoulders back to look into her face, “You came all the way to Winterhold to see me, velvyn?” But then remembering why he was called there, his tone changed to immediate concern, “You’re not injured though are you? Onmund was just telling us someone was in need of advanced Restoration.”

“No, not me,” Rona shook her head, “My friend Eroeh got hurt a few days ago, and we’ve tried everything to heal her. Can you help her, Ata?”

“Let me take a look,” he said as he and Savos Aren both strode across the hall and up to the Bosmer, “Your name is Eroeh? Did I hear that right?”

“Wowwwwww…” Eroeh gawked up at the towering Altmer, blown away at his height before shaking her head and reminding herself of the situation. “Um… yes, my name is Eroeh. I used to be a student here not all that long ago... One of Master Marence’s in fact. I travelled up with Rona from Cyrodiil- promised to show her the province. Was a bit surprised to be met with Dragons when we crossed the border though as you can see...” she rambled, a bit embarrassed at herself.

He smiled kindly at her and said, “I am Serlas Thoraminh, although you may just call me Serlas. Please, let me have a look at your wounds.”

Eroeh nervously held out her arms and grimaced, expecting another prodding. She was surprised at how gently he regarded her wounds, and waited to hear his thoughts on them.

Serlas looked over at his colleague and asked, “What do you think, Savos?”

“I say we take _her_ to the infirmary, and get _you_ to work on a few potions. We’ll need one for frostbite, a cure disease for infection, and several _very_ strong potions of healing.”

Serlas looked back to Eroeh and said, “I think we’ll definitely be able to mend these wounds Miss Eroeh, and with a day or two of rest you should be using your hands normally,” he gave them one more once over and said, “My compliments to whoever stitched you. They did an excellent job of it and probably saved you from losing your hands.”

“That would be Bishop,” Rona said nudging the ranger. He grumbled a little and nodded his head slightly.

“ _My herooooo~_ ” Eroeh giggled at the ranger, batting her long, dark lashes. “That's good though, cause I mean what good is an archer, or a rogue, or even a mage without their hands?” she chuckled, relieved that they were hopeful for her full recovery.

“Very true Miss Eroeh. Well then! Let’s hurry along to the infirmary, and get you settled in,” Serlas said pointedly, leading the way back outside and around the Hall of Elements to the infirmary. They all headed down one floor beneath the enormous building, and into a medium sized room with beds and tables lining the walls. There were curtains drawn between each bed, separating them from each other and giving anyone staying there a little privacy from their neighbors. The tables were covered in medical supplies and potions of all kinds, with quite a few beds actually being occupied at that moment. Some of the people in them were actually wounded. A poor Breton fellow had some bad burns all along his arm and leg, while a Dunmer man across the way was sporting a very swollen and inflamed face.

A few of the other residents there had much stranger things wrong with them, however. One young lady, a Nord, Rona guessed, was the sickest shade of green all over, even her hair had changed to that strange color, matching the rest of her. In one of the beds were a pair of Breton girls who had somehow grown their hair exceedingly long, and it had all managed to tangle together in a ball. A nurse was in the process of cutting it apart, while the two girls cried about losing their hair.

Bishop had his arms crossed as he eyed each person there and their strange predicaments, and asked nervously, “This uh… this is all from magic?”

“Oh yes, of course,” Serlas said nonchalantly, “It’s why the College keeps an infirmary, just in case any spells go horribly awry, or explode, or miss their intended target.”

This did not seem to assuage Bishop’s slowly mounting concern about where they were right then. And as the group continued their short walk along the aisle, Bishop suddenly leapt back at the sight of an entire cow taking up space between two of the curtains, the bed had been completely removed from that spot probably to make space. He snapped, “What the fuck!? A cow!? Why is there a cow here!?”

Savos Aren looked back and said, “Oh no, that’s not a cow, well… not a _real_ cow. That’s one of the students, Felicity. She got hit by a stray spell earlier this morning.”

“I’ll bet it was Brelyna…” Eroeh muttered to herself with a giggle, her arm looped around the nervous ranger’s as they walked.

Serlas stopped in front of the farm animal and said loudly, “How are you feeling right now Felicity?”

The cow mooed noisily in reply, and pawed a hoof at the stone floor.

“Good, good,” Serlas said as though he actually understood her, “Just another day and we’ll have that potion fermented just enough to turn you back into a proper Khajiit. In the meantime I’m sure you’re hungry dear, shall I have some hay brought up?”

The cow simply mooed again, her tail swishing frustratedly behind her. Serlas clapped his hands together, “Excellent, yes, I’ll have Sakesi and Neer-Na send up something palatable for you.”

He carried along then, following Savos back around one of the curtains, and escorted Eroeh into one of the open beds there. Bishop just gaped at his back while Rona started giggling. Casavir chuckled under his breath and said to Rona, “He’s very upbeat, isn’t he?”

She smiled, “He certainly tries to make light of a bad situation when he can. He seems to think he’s funny.”

“ _I_ think he’s funny,” Eroeh giggled, leaning closer into Bishop, who was carefully attempting to make a break for the door. He stopped pulling when he realised he’d have to risk breaking Eroeh’s stitches if he wanted to escape her delicate yet very firm grasp.

Serlas peeked back around the curtain, still grinning and said, “Oh velvyn? Do I not hear you tittering back here? If the answer is yes, then I would argue that I am most certainly amusing to say the least.” Then he looked at Casavir and said, “Oh! I apologize young man, I don’t believe we’ve been introduced yet. You are another of Rona’s fine traveling companions I take it?”

Serlas held his hand out and Casavir took it, giving him a firm handshake and said, “Casavir Tremaine, a pleasure to make your acquaintance Master Thoraminh.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Ah - and I see you are one of the Knights of the Nine, a paladin? How very noble.”

“Yes, that I am,” Casavir replied.

Serlas looked back at Rona and said, “This is quite the group you’ve found yourself with my dear.”

She just shrugged and said, “You know me Ata, always in the company of great warriors.”

“Yes, naturally,” he replied, turning back to Eroeh and saying, “Well then, I shall head up to the alchemy lab and get to work on those potions for you Miss Eroeh and while that is being done Savos Aren and Master Marence will work on disinfecting the wounds. I’ll be back shortly.”

He left them then, sweeping out of the room and putting a hand to Rona’s shoulder, giving her a parting nod before he disappeared out the door.

Eroeh wasn’t looking forward to hanging out in the infirmary by herself, but she knew Casavir and Rona were just as eager to get away. “There’s a hallway off to the side that should take you to the dining hall if you want. I’m sure none of you wanna listen to all the whining and complaining going on in here.” Bishop helped her up onto the raised sick bed, leaning against it as his eyes warily scanned the room. “You know if you want, you can hang out in here and keep me company, Bishop. I mean, the only people allowed to use magic in here are the instructors and certified healers,” she explained, nudging his shoulder. “Outside of this room though is _fair game_ ~” she purred, playing into his obvious fear of magic.

Bishop considered it for a moment, and aside from the fact that he wanted **_fuckall_** to do with that place and all of the untrained magelings running rampant in its halls, he owed her. After all, she was only hurt because of _him_ in the first place. He knew she wouldn’t hold it against him in the long run though, she didn’t seem the type. Still, he felt responsible. “You know I think I’ll take you up on that. Don’t wanna end up like ol’ Bessie over there,” he chuckled, looking over at Felicity’s curtain. Eroeh gave him a sweet smile, and patted the bed with a quick whistle, calling Karnwyr up next to her. “Well that settles that then, what about you guys?” she asked, looking over at Casavir and Rona expectantly.

“I wouldn’t mind taking a look around the grounds for a bit,” Rona said looking at Casavir, “Mind keeping me company?”

He gave her a warm smile and said, “I think I can oblige my lady on a tour of the grounds.”

“We’ll be back in a little while then,” Rona said to Eroeh. Then she looked at Bishop and said, “Watch yourself Scruffy, or my ata might just turn you into a horker and open up a petting zoo.”

Bishop just grimaced at her and took another step back, moving closer to Eroeh. Rona smirked at him and spun around, quickly looping her arm with Casavir’s and heading back out onto the grounds. The minute they stepped outside, she was overcome with a sharp shiver that crawled all the way up her spine. It was very cold that far up north, and the snowstorm never seemed to want to stop. She had no idea how her father could stand it… no, she did. He was a trained mage, cold weather was easily dealt with. Casavir noticed her shivering and said, “Can I offer you a resist frost spell, my lady?”

“I’d appreciate it,” she said quickly, fighting her chattering teeth.

He quickly cast the spell over the both of them and chuckled, “I’m still amazed that you’re the daughter of an Arch-Mage and have no skill with magic.”

She blushed a little, “I can do a few things, Restoration is easy enough, at least healing, and of course simple fire and ice spells. I know plenty of household type spells and a few other odd ones.” They started their walk across the grounds, heading back towards the Hall of Elements and into the warmth of the building.

“Odd spells?” Casavir asked her.

“I can leap off of tall buildings and slow my descent with a spell.”

He raised his brows at her, “That’s impressive. What school of magic does that fall under?”

“I don’t know,” she said laughing a little, “I played around with my magic for a while before learning how to do that when I first started out in the Fighter’s Guild. It’s something of my own creation.”

“That’s very impressive, my lady,” he said.

She blushed at his compliment and then looked around at the empty hall they were standing in and said, “Hm, where to?”

“I couldn’t say,” he said smiling, “I’ve never been here.”

**Setting** **: The Arcanaeum, College of Winterhold**

She made a quick decision, pulling on his arm and leading him to their right and up the stairs where they found themselves in an enormous library with plenty of students walking and sitting around with their noses buried in spell books.

“Hey,” she said, “Let’s see if they have any good story books!”

He chuckled at her, “Story books?”

“Yeah! I want to read something funny with you.”

“If you insist my lady,” he let the tiny Altmer continue to drag him along, completely amused by her childlike delight at the enormous library. He really did enjoy her company, and even her mild flirtations. He started to worry though, realizing he was starting to feel something more than friendship with her. He tried to push those thoughts aside, however, as they went entirely against his vows. He couldn’t let himself falter, lest he spiral back into the sinful life he lived once before. Still… she was so kind, beautiful and pure. Like a bright light in such a dark world. Would it really have been so terrible to feel something for her?

“Casavir,” Rona’s voice broke him from his reverie, and he looked down at her. She was holding a pile of books in her arms and smiling so sweetly up at him, “You alright? You were spacing out for a minute there.”

“Ah, yes, I’m fine my lady.”

“Good, here! Carry these for me! ” She passed him a pile of books which he easily cradled in his enormous arms, “The librarian, Urag here, is loaning us all these story books! I bet there are a few in here that Eroeh wouldn’t mind reading to keep her busy while she heals.”

“And there you are, Miss Thoraminh,” Urag said as he put another pile of books onto the desk.

“Thank you so much Mister Urag!” She said smiling brightly at the orc.

He returned the grin and grunted, “Nice to see someone interested in reading something other than spell books for a change. Oh and if Serlas asks if I want anything from the Dining Hall tonight, tell him I’ll take a bowl of whatever’s hot and a Spiced Wine as always.”

She gave him a parting nod and took the pile of books into her arms then, the whole stack towered nearly over her head, so she could hardly see. Casavir asked tentatively, “Lady Rona, that’s quite a few books, perhaps I can take a few from you-”

“No, it’s fine,” she said wobbling a little, “I’ve got it!” But as she took a few steps forward, she didn’t see the blond mage walking by in front of her and crashed right into him, sending herself, the books, and the mage in question flying across the floor.

“My lady!” Casavir cried out.

She hit the floor on her ass with a gasped, “Oof!”

The mage in front of her was grumbling furiously, “ _Do you **mind!?**_ ” He got up and started dusting off his robes, “Maybe watch where you’re going next time you buffoo-” then he caught sight of the tiny woman who’d rammed into him and went slack-jawed, “You… you _rose_. You _lovely_ rose.”

Casavir was holding his own tower of books with one arm, and held a hand out for Rona and stammered, “Lady Rona! Are you alright!?”

“I’m fine,” she said taking his hand allowing him to easily lift her to her feet, “Thank you Casavir,” she said smiling up at him. Then she knit her brows together, looking apologetically at the mage and said, “I’m so sorry I bumped into you. I guess I really did have too many books.”

The blond mage knelt down to start picking up the books and said, “No please lovely rose. I apologize, I also should have watched where I was going,” he paused for a moment, picking up a pair of books and said, “Oh… quite the selection you have here,” he flashed her a flirtatious grin and said, “I see you’re also a fan of The Lusty Argonian Maid series.”

Her face blossomed into the deepest shade of red then. She’d only asked for them because she figured she and Eroeh could giggle over them, but to have him blatantly announce she’d rented those books out right in front of Casavir... She wanted to curl up into a ball and just melt into the floor. She stammered, squeaking out, “M-Must have been a mistake!”

She knelt down and started to frantically gather the books up, trying to hide her burning face. The blond mage chuckled at her and said, “No need to be ashamed lovely rose. We all have desires and _needs_.” She slowly looked up at him and he was flashing her that flirty smirk, obviously trying to be charming or cute or something, but she just felt irritated more than anything. 

She snatched the books from him and snapped, “I’ll just return these. Sorry I bumped into you. Excuse me.” Rona barreled around him and hurried back down the steps, trying to put as much distance between herself and mage. Casavir caught up to her, but thankfully made no mention of the two _naughty_ books she’d borrowed from the library.


	10. A Very Lusty Reading

**Setting: The Infirmary, College of Winterhold**

Eroeh was in absolute tears, half-sideways on the bed with laughter despite the constant shushes of the healers and other patients. In the absence of their other two companions, Bishop had been sharing stories about his younger days and the ridiculous situations he and Karnwyr used to get into during their travels to entertain her as she was being patched up. She caught her breath finally with a sigh, leaning into the ranger as Colette finished re-wrapping her arms with a roll of her eyes and a groan. “Do try to keep from doing anything too... _strenuous,_ that might break your stitches Miss Whitepaw. I’d rather not have to do this again unless I have to.” she chided, patting the little half-elf on the head and suspiciously eyeing the ranger before heading out of the infirmary as quickly as she could manage.

Eroeh settled against the ranger’s wide shoulder, grateful that he’d taken his jacket off to get comfortable. Feeling mischievous, she pressed harder as she leaned into him, slowly tipping him sideways until he was flat on his back next to her. With a satisfied smile she laid next to him, curling up in the crook of his arm. Bishop let out an amused chuckle, “You know, if you wanted me in bed so badly all you had to do was ask,” he purred, ruffling her hair. “I figured as much- but I just wanted to lay down, and you’re a lot warmer than the bed is,” she giggled, getting comfortable.

Her hair fanned out beneath her in a wave of white, wild, waist length curls, and hid part of her face as she turned on her side, using Bishops bicep as a pillow. “You know, the more I try to figure you out, the more you confuse me. What’s your endgame here, Eroeh? Cause I’m not exactly a romance kind of guy,” he asked plainly, his amber eyes searching the depths of her pale malachite greens for any signs of dishonesty. “There’s no end game. I just really like you is all. You _fascinate_ me, Bishop,” she giggled, her eyes sparkling with childlike wonder and excitement. “It’s been awhile since I’ve met anyone as free as you or I. You just _do_ what you want, _when_ you want, and disregard sparing people’s feelings for the sake of being honest instead. It’s just really refreshing is all,” she smiled, absentmindedly toying with the tie of his collar.

Before they could speak further, they could hear Rona and Casavir returning from down the corridor, the velvety timbre of the paladin’s voice echoing off the stone walls as he and Rona spoke.

“It really was a mistake, I swear!” Rona insisted, keeping her eyes off of Casavir as she precariously ambled along the hall with a large stack of books in her arms.

Casavir was blushing a bit and chuckling, “It’s fine my lady, you needn’t justify your book choices to me…”

“Okay fine,” she said quickly, “I did ask for them, but I just thought they would be funny to read with Eroeh.”

“That what would be funny to read?” Bishop asked as they pushed around the curtain and set their piles of books on a nearby table.

Rona’s face burned even more at the ranger asking her that, and Casavir just awkwardly cleared his throat. Bishop raised a brow at them.

Luckily both of them were spared having to answer questions when Serlas strolled in carrying several large bottles of potion with him. He strode right up to the bed and chuckled at Eroeh snuggling up to Bishop, “You look very comfortable Miss Eroeh.”

“Oh I am,” she responded with a soft giggle, sitting up to speak to the tall Altmer more comfortably. “He makes a rather nice pillow,” she smiled, patting the Nords broad chest playfully.

He smiled at her and then handed her two of the potions and set the other pair on the bedside table, “If you could drink both of those, one is for frostbite and the other is for healing. You’ll take the same dose tomorrow and we’ll see how you’re feeling and if you need any more I’ll whip up another batch for you. I hope the taste is to your liking, after all, no one likes a bitter potion.”

With a reluctant sigh, Eroeh took the given potions, popped their corks, and downed them as quickly as she could to avoid any potentially nasty flavors. “Snowberry and… _eugh_ is that... _daedra heart,_ that I’m tasting?” she asked, making a face as she licked the roof of her mouth. “And why exactly would _you_ know what daedra hearts taste like?” Bishop asked, raising an eyebrow at the disgusted looking Bosmer next to him. “A cruel joke my older brothers played on my sister and I when we were kids,” she answered simply, shuddering at the memory. “Trust me, you never forget the taste of it.”

“Oh yes, Daedra heart amongst... other things… oh! Is that the Lusty Argonian Maid?” Serlas looked over the pile of books on the table, taking the one on top and said, “My, my, what a wonderfully erotic tale.”

Eroeh registered the title of the book in his hands, and unabashedly grinned ear to ear. “Rona, did you bring me **_SMUT_** to read??” she giggled loudly, further embarrassing the little Altmer. “That’s great. Were you gonna do a dramatic reading with me, Rona? Oooooh or maybe Casavir would like to regale the infirmary with the tale of lady Lifts-Her-Tail. That would be a treat!” she laughed, leaning into Bishop with a saucy eyebrow wiggle and a snort.

Casavir turned beet red but Serlas piped in and said, “Personally, I would be delighted to do a dramatic reading of this alluring old tale Miss Eroeh. I hope you won’t mind though if I played the role of the lovely Argonian Maid, Lifts-Her-Tail,” he smirked as a stream of snickers and giggles echoed throughout the room, coming from all of the patients who were quietly eavesdropping on their conversation. Even Felicity grunted and mooed a bit.

Rona snorted a laugh and threw a hand to her mouth mumbling, “ _Ataaa_.”

He looked back at her, throwing her a cheeky grin and then turned to Eroeh and said, “What do you think? It appears we even have an audience who all seem to be looking forward to this.”

Eroeh’s eyes glittered with mischief as she patted the empty space on the mattress near her feet, inviting the tall, aging Altmer to join her. “Why Arch-Mage Thoraminh, I would be delighted.” she said as formally as she could manage, further highlighting the ridiculousness of it all. “But before I do…” she giggled, turning to Bishop and placing a finger to the center of his throat. “Say something for me, handsome. I pinky promise it won’t hurt,” she assured him, giggling as he played along.

“Ok? Like what, cause that’s pretty vague…” the ranger questioned, raising an eyebrow at the little Bosmer.

“That’ll work, thanks hun,” she chuckled in return, her voice melding smoothly into a perfect mimic of his with every word. “Now,” she started, scooting over next to Serlas, “If you’ll start us from the top?” she purred, her voice giving Bishop no doubt the **_weirdest_** boner he’d ever had in his entire life.

“ _Certainly not, kind sir! I am here but to clean your chambers._ ” Serlas read, his voice a ridiculous, cracking attempt at a sultry falsetto. “ _Is that all you have come here for, little one? My chambers?_ ” Eroeh asked, a lupine purr in her voice as she fought to stay serious.

“ _I have no idea **what** it is you imply, master. I am but a poor Argonian maid._” he replied, batting his golden eyes with a defensive hand against his chest.

“ _So you are, my dumpling. And a good one at that. Such **strong legs** and **shapely tail.**_ ” Eroeh groaned, squeezing Bishop’s knee next to her in the bed.

“ _You **embarrass** me, sir!_” Serlas shrieked, his voice cracking as he swatted at Eroeh playfully.

“ _Fear not. You are safe here with me._ ” Eroeh purred, chuckling a bit as she leaned into Serlas and placed an arm around his shoulder.

“ _I **must** finish my cleaning, sir. The mistress will have my head if I do not!_” Serlas squealed, fanning his face dramatically and trying to suppress a laugh.

“ _Cleaning, eh? I have something for you. Here, polish my spear._ ” Eroeh groaned in Bishops voice, making a rather crude motion with her hand and biting her lip.

“ _But it is **huge!** It could take me **all night!**_ ” Serlas chuckled, his voice breaking as he laughed, feigning shock and surprise.

“ _Plenty of time, my sweet. Plenty of time._ ” Eroeh broke down, giggling like an idiot in the rangers rugged voice.

Bishop clapped awkwardly along with the rest of the cackling infirmary, both unnerved and aroused by the sound of his own voice.

Rona was bright red, although not out of embarrassment, but rather because she was withholding her own laughter her friend’s and her father’s ridiculous performance.

“ ** _Ahem_** ,” Eroeh coughed, clearing her throat and waving away her borrowed voice. “Ok, now on to book two. Casavir, come here, I wanna use yours for this one!” She giggled, batting her long, dark eyelashes at the paladin innocently. With a wary glance, he relented, stepping over within her reach and kneeling by her bedside, allowing her to put a slender fingertip to his throat as she had done with the ranger.

“Very well, my lady. If you insist,” he said, the deep, velvety timbre of his voice giving not only Eroeh but Rona naughty thoughts as well. “Thanks, Cas. That should be enough,” she giggled, her voice distorting and becoming even deeper than it had the first time.

Eroeh choked momentarily, putting a hand to her throat in surprise at the sound of her newfound voice and began cackling like mad. She was hysterical, clutching her sides with tears in her eyes as she laughed with the paladins buttery, bassy voice. “Oh gods! I’m sorry Cas, but this is just too fucking **_funny!_** ” she wheezed, clutching her ribcage. Gathering herself momentarily, she turned to the ranger, wiggling her eyebrows seductively. “I’m gonna frost your sweetroll, baby,” she managed before breaking down into hysterics again.

Serlas was wiping his own tears of laughter, shaking his head at the little Bosmer as he attempted to calm himself. “Ugh, okay. That’s enough of that,” Eroeh laughed, taking a deep breath and sitting back upright. “Care to start us off with Volume Two before I lose my nerve?” she asked, wiping her eyes and brushing a lock of hair from her reddened face. 

“Absolutely, my dear. We certainly cannot leave this tale unfinished for our eagerly awaiting audience,” Serlas responded, clearing his throat and opening the second book. He grimaced a bit, having to pry the pages apart to read it, “This one’s a bit used it seems,” he muttered and raised his voice with a ridiculous gasp, “ _My goodness, that's **quite** a loaf! But however shall it fit in my oven?_”

“ _This loaf isn't ready for baking, my sweet. It has yet to **rise.**_ ” Eroeh responded as smoothly as she could, choking a bit at the last few words as she tried to wiggle her eyebrows at Serlas.

The old elf chuckled a bit and nudged her on the shoulder, grinning like a fool. “ _If **only** we could hurry that along. How would I accomplish such a task?_” he said, his voice cracking with a dramatic sigh. 

“ _Oh, my foolish little Argonian maid, you must use your **hands.**_ ” Eroeh grinned, doing a crude grabbing motion towards Rona’s chest and biting her lip.

“ _You wish me to knead the loaf? **Here?**_ ” Serlas asked incredulously, feigning moral outrage. 

“ ** _Of course._** ” Eroeh said smoothly, bouncing her eyebrows at their two snowberry companions. 

“ _But what if the mistress catches me? Your loaf was meant to satisfy **her** appetite._” Serlas argued, putting a hand to his chest in concern.

“ _Don't fret, my delicate flower. I'll satisfy the mistress's cravings later._ ” Eroeh purred, her voice as low and sultry as she could manage. She was having too much fun attempting to bother Rona in as _carnal_ of a way as she could with the paladin’s voice.

“ _Very well, but I'm afraid my oven isn't hot enough. It could take hours!_ ” Serlas read finally, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

Eroeh laughed another deep, sensual laugh before making eye contact with Rona, a devious smirk drawing up into her cheek with a dimple. “ _Plenty of time, my sweet. Plenty of time._ ” she purred before winking at the tiny Altmer and laughing again. With a wave of her hand over her throat her voice returned to normal, filling the room with her raucous, giggly laughter.

Rona blushed an even deeper shade of crimson hearing Casavir’s voice saying such things, even though it was coming from Eroeh’s mouth.

“Rona dear, you’re looking rather flushed,” her father noted with a smirk, “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” she squeaked throwing a hand to the side of her face as she turned away with a mix of embarrassment and giggles, “I’m fine.”

Her father just grinned at her and even Casavir was chuckling a bit, while fairly red in the face himself. 

Serlas stood up, setting the two books back onto the top of the pile and said, “Well then, I did enjoy that very much Miss Eroeh, thank you for sharing in that riveting tale with me. Now I’m sure you’re all hungry. Perhaps we should head off to the dining hall and get something to eat?”

“That sounds great Ata,” Rona said, finally calming down and returning to a normal color.

Eroeh looked down at her hands and grimaced a bit, the wrapping job done by Master Marence shortly before being an especially stiff fit around her arms. “I’ll try my best to eat, but uh… Master Marence has left me with essentially stubby mittens for hands…” she sighed, pouting as she fought to flex her fingers. “Maybe if I just…” she grumbled, grabbing at the wrapping on her hands with her teeth, trying to bite the knots loose.

“ _Ugh_. I don’t know why she wrapped my fucking hands, but I’m not gonna let these clumsy nubs get in between me and Neer-Na’s cooking!” she growled, grinding her teeth along the bandage ties furiously. “If I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue I can undo this stupid knot!” she growled furiously, managing to rip the first tie loose. “ _HA!_ _Gotcha bitch!_ ” she giggled through gritted teeth as she worked the knot loose with her mouth. Bishop put a hand on hers, breaking her concentration, and began carefully untying her hands, quietly shaking his head with a smile. “You could have just asked, you know,” he chuckled as he worked.

Serlas smiled at her and said, “There is no shame in asking for assistance, Miss Eroeh. Why, velvyn often had to do just that when she was still training up in the Mage’s Guild all those years ago.”

“ _Nooope!_ ” Rona said quickly, looping her arm with her father’s and dragging him along down the hall while he chuckled loudly to himself. She was not about to let him tell everyone _those_ embarrassing stories.

Casavir quickly followed them, not wanting to linger around Bishop who was giving him the stink eye anyways. 

“Untie faster, I’ve gotta hear this!” Eroeh giggled, bouncing excitedly on the mattress alongside Bishop. “Sit still, would ya? I can’t pinch these ties if you’re moving!” he grumbled, pulling her in and pinning her arm between his own and his side.

Eroeh took the sudden closeness as a chance to look up at the ranger, taking in the finer details of his face. Now that she was so close to him, she could clearly see the fine lines of faded scars marring his cheek, and the sliver of an older one running down his right eyebrow. She could also see the various shades of molten gold and warm copper dancing in his eyes, giving them the telltale amber hue she wished she could drown in. “Someone needs to arrest you,” she giggled, taking her free hand and ghosting over the scars on his cheek. “What the fuck for?” Bishop snorted, looking at her curiously. “I haven’t done anything.”

With a smile, Eroeh booped his nose. “Because, it should be illegal to be as _cute_ as you are,” she giggled, watching as he fought a laugh, shaking it off as he continued to work. “What? _Cute_? You make me wonder just how much brain damage that dragon might of given you back there,” he snorted. “Bah... _Cute_. Got me wondering how your mind works Ladyship, if it even does at all…” he chuckled, taking the compliment in his own way. As he finished untying her hands and adjusting the knots, Eroeh had a moment of bravery… or foolishness, however you’d rather thing of it, and placed her slender hands on his jaw, gently pulling him into her for a long, sweet kiss of thanks, which he took without hesitation.

Rona and Serlas swept out into the cold and she shivered a bit. Her father sighed, still smiling and waved a hand, casting a powerful resist frost spell over the both of them. She looked up at him and said, “Thank you Ata.”

“Of course my dear. Now if you’d just practice a bit more you could easily do that yourself.”

She pursed her lips and moped, “You should know better than to trust me casting spells Ata.”

“You do just fine when you concentrate velvyn.”

“That’s the problem, I can’t concentrate on anything else but the fact that I’m going to mess it up somehow!”

“You shouldn’t have such little faith in yourself,” Casavir said as he walked up beside them. He gave her a gentle smile, “I once struggled with my own magic. It really is just all about focus and concentration, _and_ confidence. Be confident knowing what you’re doing with the power in your hands.”

“Precisely!” Serlas agreed throwing a finger up, then he looked Casavir over for a moment and asked, “Might I ask your heritage Sir Casavir? Imperial perhaps?”

“A little on my mother’s side, but I am mostly Breton.”

Serlas looked at him astonished, “ _Breton?_ Well I have to admit you are the tallest Breton I have ever had the pleasure of knowing - why taller than me even! And I can assure you I am a full-blooded Altmer, although my own father was a bit on the short side.”

Casavir chuckled and teased, “Yes and your daughter is the tiniest Altmer I’ve ever seen.”

Rona made a sour face and said, “Quit picking on me!” She dragged her father along across the grounds as both he and Casavir laughed heartily and continued their conversation, much to her chagrin.

“She is also half-Nord, is that right?” Casavir asked.

“Yes, although Claudia was even shorter than Rona. She had a bit of Breton blood somewhere in her family. The woman had absolutely no ability to use magic though. She rather hated it in fact.”

Casavir raised a brow, his curiosity getting the better of him and he probed, “You’re the Arch-Mage of the Arcane University though, are you not? Whatever brought the two of you together?”

Serlas smirked and said, “Ale. Bottles and bottles of ale.”

Rona was blushing brighter than the sun at that point and she groaned, “ _Ataaa nooo_ … don’t tell him that!”

Her father started to laugh harder and said, “But what fun is it being your father if I can’t embarrass you velvyn?” He glanced at Casavir who still looked very confused and clarified, “Claudia and I were never in a relationship. My dear, sweet daughter here is the product of a very inebriated one night stand with her mother.”

Casavir chuckled awkwardly and said, “Ah, I see… well a lucky night it was then that we have such a fine young woman here to grace our presence.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Serlas said, still laughing and pulling his daughter in for a side hug.

“Damn, Pinkie, your old man must have some serious game!” Bishop laughed from behind the trio, his arm firmly around Eroeh’s waist as they walked side by side. Karnwyr was happily nipping at the snow, hopping in and out of the little snow banks along the path. Eroeh playfully whapped Bishop on the shoulder and giggled, “He doesn’t need game, Bishop. He’s fine as hell for an old dude.”

Serlas heard that remark and turned back, raising his eyebrows up and down and gave a charming wink to the little Bosmer. Rona nudged him in the ribs and said, “Stop flirting with women a tenth your age, Ata!” 

Serlas gave a raucous laugh at that and Rona joined in giggling madly. Then Bishop pointedly asked, “A tenth his age? Just how old are you?”

“Oh dear,” Serlas said, stroking at his beard thoughtfully, “I stopped keeping close track around my hundredth year. Let’s see… It’s two-hundred and one of the Fourth Era and I was born in the Third before the Oblivion Crisis… sooo, that makes me two hundred and sixty-four to be precise.”

“TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR!?” Bishop blurt out.

Serlas chuckled, “Oh yes. I’m quite old for an Altmer. I’d be considered great-grandfatherly back on the Summerset Isles.”

“Daaaaaaaamn Attie, still pulling girls this late in life. Shows how much a friendly smile and a big brain will get you!” Eroeh giggled, playfully patting Bishop on the chest. “ ** _You’d_** just better be thankful you’re _cute_ ,” she snickered, shifting to adjust the staff on her back. “ _Again_ with the cute? Ugh, something’s seriously messed up in that pretty little head of yours, Ladyship,” he grumbled in response, rolling his eyes at her as the not-so-sneaky insult went right over his head.

The five of them and Karnwyr joined a small procession of students down into the dining hall. The delicious scent of warm food wafted through the air and graced their nostrils. Four out of five stomachs growled and Serlas laughed saying, “Hungry are we?”

“Starved,” Rona said, her mouth practically drooling over the sight of all the steaming food set out on the three tables against the far wall. She looked around at the large room, noting that it was just underneath the Hall of Elements above and even larger than that room.


	11. Sexy Piano Song

**Setting: The Dining Hall, College of Winterhold**

There were six, very long tables lined up along the stone floor and seated with long benches to match. Ahead of them was a seventh long table, though a bit shorter on the ends. Rona noticed Arch-Mage Aren seated in the middle with what she assumed were several other professors eating their dinners and chatting with one another. Several college staff were coming and going through the swinging doors from the kitchens, bringing out more plates and taking emptied ones from the three tables against the wall.

Bishop said, "Wow, that smells good. Let's go stuff our faces already."

Everyone agreed and immediately went over, joining the line of students waiting to fill their plates.

As the line moved along Rona started filling hers with plenty of greens and a couple of chicken breasts. She was pleased to see Casavir doing the same, although he chose a piece of spiced beef and poured himself a small bowl of clam chowder. When she finished choosing her food and drink she looked around at all the very full tables and asked, “Where should we sit?”

“You will all be joining me today up at the professors table as my guests,” Serlas said. Rona moved in step side by side with him and immediately noticed all the staring and whispering students. She even heard a few of them.

“Who’s that girl with Arch-Mage Thoraminh?”

“She kind of looks like him.”

“No she doesn’t, she’s way too short!”

“Maybe she’s a new student?”

“Must be an amazing mage to get his attention…”

“What about that man with them?”

“He’s so tall!”

On and on their whispering and gossip went and grew even more as she and Casavir took a pair of seats next to her father at the head table.

Eroeh and Bishop lagged behind as she was stopped by several students welcoming her back. Three in particular, the Nord from earlier, Onmund, a Dunmer girl named Brelyna, and a Khajiit by the name of J’zargo caught her attention, so she practically _dragged_ the ranger on her arm over to their table. “ _My friendssssssss~_ ” she cooed dramatically, hugging the moustached Khajiit from behind as she scritched the soft fur of his cheeks.

“Did you miss me?” she asked, giving a saucy chuckle as she nipped at her lower lip. “This one misses having a worthy adversary, that much is certain. J’zargo is relieved to see his old nemesis once more.” the Khajiit said with a laugh, patting the back of Eroeh’s hands with his own.

“Eroeh! It’s good to see you in better shape. Onmund told us about your injuries and I’d begun to wear the worst.” Brelyna said with a relieved sigh, eyeing the Bosmer’s bandaged arms. “You know me, Lyn. nothing can keep me down for too long!” Eroeh laughed, still playing with J’zargo’s whiskers.

“Yes, I too am grateful for your recovery. You’ve always been so... _hands-on_ , it’d be a shame if you lost the use of them,” Onmund chuckled. Eroeh momentarily stopped fondling J’zargo’s face, catching the joke. “Well,” she huffed, “As long as _he_ doesn’t mind it, I’m gonna keep doing it!” she huffed indignantly, running her fingernails through the soft fur of his cheek once more.

“J’zargo must remind you that he is not a house cat… Though... the scritches do feel rather nice, so for now you may carry on,” he purred, smiling as Eroeh continued with a giggle. “ _D’awww…. Who’s a pretty kitty~_ ” she cooed, giggling like a madman as the Khajiit shot a small spark into her hand in warning, cutting his bright blue eyes at her. “J’zargo is _not_ a pretty kitty,” he grumbled irritably. With a final ruffle of his hair Eroeh waved and continued on towards the main table, smiling and waving to those who greeted her along the way. Spotting a particularly douchey-looking blond Breton at one of the tables ogling her, she pulled Bishop in closer and averted her eyes, picking up the pace a bit until they reached their friends. “Sorry had to say hello to some of my old classmates,” Eroeh apologized, taking a seat next to Rona. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any of them. 

Rona smiled and said, “That’s fine. It’s always good to catch up with friends,” she noticed the young man she bumped into earlier staring up at them, a wry smirk sprawled across his lips. She leaned into Eroeh and asked, “You don’t happen to know that guy do you?”

“Ehhhh, he looks familiar, but I dunno. I don’t usually pay attention to blonds. I’m more of a grubby brunet or smarmy ginger type myself,” she laughed a bit, sneaking a glance at Bishop. “Is it just me, or does he look like he’s trying to make sexy faces at us?”

In that moment Darren winked at them and pursed his lips, then blew a kiss to them. Rona started giggling under her breath and said, “I’m gonna say that’s a yes.”

Eroeh chuckled a bit and started making gagging noises, not interested in entertaining that douche in the slightest. “Honestly I’d rather fuck _Mutton Chops_. At least he’s **_somewhat_** manly looking.... if you ignore his skinny lower half. This guy looks like he could get beat by a **_kid_** in a fist-fight,” she snorted, pulling the Sanguine Rose staff off of her back and resting it behind her.

Rona failed to suppress a noisy snicker and leaned over to her father, nudging him and pulling him from his bookish conversation with Arch-Mage Aren, “Ata.”

“Hm?” He turned to her, “Yes dear?”

“Who’s that boy?”

He looked up and chuckled a bit, “The one making kissy faces at you, velvyn?”

She scrunched her nose in mock disgust, “Yeah, that one.”

“That is Darren,” Serlas said, “A highly accomplished mage and a very powerful conjurer. He's quite exemplary with destruction as well.”

Arch-Mage Aren piped in, “And yet with all that talent he still finds ways to wreak havoc in nearly every hold he visits. Got himself thrown from Solitude not too long ago. Seems to think we wouldn't consider expelling him due to his personal talent. He's on his last chance now though."

“Darren….Darren…. Sounds familiar…” Eroeh mused, racking her brain as she tried to place the name. “Aww shit. I think I know him.” she groaned, wiping her hand down her face. Looking over, she could see Casavir shifting uneasily in his seat. “Cas, you okay over there?” she chuckled, watching him fidgeting with his cup. “Well… Actually Lady Ereoh, now that you mention it… I do believe I also find him rather… _familiar…_ ” he groaned, scrunching his face up awkwardly. “Well I hope it’s not for the same reason as _me_!” she laughed uncomfortably, rubbing the back of her neck.

Bishop leaned over and whispered, asking, “ _Please_ tell me you didn’t **_sleep_** with that puny mageling... Did you?” 

“I... may or may not have engaged in a bit of... _overindulgence_ with the spiced wine at the local tavern while I was still studying here… I also might have drunkenly made out with a certain douchey looking blond mage who bought most of my drinks that evening…” she admitted sheepishly, shrugging at her poor decisions. “I can drink liquor like its nothing, but wine not so much. Luckily my friends were around to drag me back to my dorm before I could do anything stupid.” she sighed, looking back at Onmund, Brelyna, and J’zargo.

“Very lucky,” Rona agreed.

Bishop made a gagging noise as Darren finally got bold enough to wave and say, “Oh lovely rose! I have a seat all warmed up for you here!” He pat the seat next to him while all his snobby looking friends burst into a fit of snickers and giggles.

Rona cringed even harder and Casavir scowled saying, “By Mara I remember now. I arrested him on my last visit to Solitude.”

Bishop rolled his eyes, “Of course you did.”

He looked at her and said, “I was doing some work for the Legion a few months back and he was drunk off his wits, running around the city turning every body of water into,” he hesitated and quietly said, “ _lewd_ ice sculptures.”

Rona practically spat her drink across the table, “What!?”

“Wait, how lewd are we talkin here? Like _Lusty Argonian Maid,_ or _Pleasures of a Curved Sword_ lewd?” Eroeh asked, suddenly interested.

Bishop and Serlas both started laughing loudly, while Arch-Mage Aren just put a hand to his head and sighed deeply.

Casavir’s cheeks burned and he said, “Um well… they were disrobed male and female figures doing… I’m sure you can guess.”

“Were they at least anatomically correct?” Eroeh asked, raising an eyebrow.

Serlas chuckled and said, “Yes, I too would like to know the merit of his craftsmanship.”

Casavir laughed and said, “I do have to admit that they were very well crafted.”

Everyone who was listening and overheard their conversation at the professor’s table burst into a wild fit of laughter.

Rona quickly leaned in close to Eroeh using the noisy distraction to her advantage and asked, “Hey… remember when we messed with Bishop at the Bannered Mare?”

“Yeah, what about it?” Eroeh responded, leaning in close as if they were whispering sweet nothings to each other.

Rona grinned and said, “I’m feeling a little mischievous. What do you say we mess with this boy? Give him a little taste of his own medicine?”

“I can’t begin to express how much fun I think that’d be. How do you want to go about it? Same as last time, or more… subtle?” Eroeh giggled deviously.

Rona showed what she meant by putting on a flirty smirk and waving a bit at Darren, then she said, sidelong to her keeping her eyes locked with Darren’s, “Make him think we like him… then later…” she started giggling.

“I think there might be some enchanted manacles around here somewhere. I think Urag has some in the dungeon he might let us borrow,” she chuckled, bringing a finger to her face and tapping her chin in thought.

As the laughter at the table died down Serlas said in a low voice, “Looking to stir up trouble velvyn?”

She blushed and said, “What? No of course not Ata. We were just talking about Eroeh’s Sanguine Rose.”

Serlas looked at her curiously and she motioned to the enormous rose shaped staff leaning against the table. His eyes widened with interest.

“I’ve never seen a staff like that one before,” he said, “May I ask who designed it for you Miss Eroeh?”

“Umm… Would you believe that I won it in a drinking contest?” the little Bosmer answered sheepishly, her cheeks pinkening at the attention being shifted to her. 

Serlas chuckled, “Well, I suppose I could believe it.” Though he really did have a hard time believing such a small woman could hold her liquor he did recall just how well Claudia had once done so, who was a woman even smaller than the little Bosmer.

“I was in the Winking Skeever partying it up for my birthday, and a guy challenged me to a drinking contest, wagering a super neat staff if I won. My momma didn’t raise a coward, so I took him on,” she giggled. “We sat drinking out of this little keg of his that had a special home brew in it, and four fat tankards of Daedric Wine later I was the winner,” she grinned from ear to ear in pride.

“I woke up three days later in Markarth getting my ear jabbered off by a pissed off Dibellan Priestess. According to her I’d crashed in there like an angry horker, made a mess of the place, and was groping the statues,” she sighed, chuckling at the memory.

A round of snorts and giggles erupted from everyone listening at the table. Bishop held up a tankard and said, “Sounds like the sort of trouble I’d get myself into, Ladyship. You sure we’re not long lost cousins?”

Eroeh smirked wryly at him, continuing her story, “Gods I hope not. _ANYWAYS_ , it turns out I’d blacked out in Solitude, and in the three days I was out of it I’d **_stolen_** a prize-winning goat from a farm in Rorikstead, sold it to a **_giant_** , _‘borrowed’_ a ring from a girl in Whiterun, then used said ring to marry a **Hagraven**. After all that I somehow managed to stumble my **_still_** drunk ass **_alllllllllllll_** the way to Markarth to throw myself a bachelorette party in the temple of Dibella. Now,” she went on, grabbing the staff and holding it proudly. “Say what you will about the Daedra, but the Prince of Debauchery sure knows how to throw a damn good party!” she laughed, stroking the petals of her Sanguine Rose fondly.

Serlas’ and Arch-Mage Aren’s eyes both widened at this little nugget of information.

“As it turns out- my birthday, Heart’s Day, **_and_** Sanguines day of summoning are all the sixteenth of Suns Dawn. And according to big daddy Sanguine himself, my birthday party was the best time he’d had since the third era!” she exclaimed proudly. “Sadly Master Thoraminh, there’s only ever one of these in existence at a time. When this one inevitably wilts, another will bloom in Sanguine’s plane of Oblivion, and await the day he awards it to someone he deems worthy of it. Or, at least someone he thinks will be entertaining enough to pass it on to.”

“A staff from Sanguine,” Serlas seemed to be thinking deeply as he curled a finger through his beard, “What exactly does it do if I might ask? Summon an endless stream of wine perhaps?”

“Oh if only. It’s a conjuring staff, but it summons a Dremora; specifically one by the name of Samael. Sanguine hand-picked him just for me, so whenever I use it, he comes- and for a price he’ll do just about whatever I ask of him. Would you like me to demonstrate?” Eroeh asked, holding the staff upright and turning around in her seat.

“Yes, I am very interested,” Serlas replied. Even Arch-Mage Aren perked up with interest. Bishop, however, looked a little disgruntled by that notion, knowing the price she’d have to pay for anything from the Dremora.

“Alrighty. Here goes nothing,” she sighed, tapping the staff on the ground gently. As expected the glowing violet summoning circle appeared around her on the floor, and the telltale inky violet-black abyss of Oblivion opened up before her. Samael stepped out silently, tugging the wide collar of his quilted leather coat and rolling his neck and shoulders.

“Well I’ll be,” Serlas said as he stared in awe at the Daedric creature. Arch-Mage Aren snickered, nudging his colleague in the arm and said, “Not giving you flashbacks of the Oblivion Crisis now is it Serlas?”

Serlas huffed and said, “Oh come now Savos, you know me better than that.”

“That I do. I expect we’ll be hearing a slew of new stories surrounding the Dremora next chance you get!” He guffawed loudly and Rona was surprised to see her father almost pouting as he said, “Well, if I’d known how much you disliked my old war stories!”

She grasped his arm and said sweetly, “I love your old stories, Ata.”

He grinned at her and said, “Well thank you dear,” then he looked at his old friend and childishly stuck his tongue out him, sending the old Dunmer into another fit of laughter.

They turned their attention back to the Dremora in question however, as he stepped forward and with a sensuous exhale, gave a low bow, taking Eroeh’s hand in his. _“How may I be of service, My Lady?”_ he asked, his voice a deep, velvety purr that echoed over itself, making the room feel much emptier than it was. Eroeh blushed as his lips met the back of her hand and quickly pulled it from his grasp, holding it against her chest.

“Hello Samael. I have someone who wanted to see just what this staff your master gave me could do. Is that alright?” She asked carefully, never having summoned him without urgent cause before. _“Of course my lady. I live to service your **every** desire, after all~”_ he purred, meeting her eyes, giving her a mischievous smirk that drew up into his cheek. “ _Staaaaahp,_ there’s people around and you know it!” Eroeh whined quietly, her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment at the Dremora’s thinly veiled propositioning.

Bishop grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as his lip curled up and he rolled his eyes. Rona noticed and muttered under her breath, “ _Jealous?_ ”

He scoffed at her, “If I were jealous he wouldn’t be breathing…”

“ _Suuure_ ,” Rona snickered as Bishop slumped like into his chair like a sulking child and narrowed his eyes at the surprisingly handsome Dremora.

“Please, don’t pay him any mind. He’s just trying to get a rise out of me... It’s part of why Sanguine picked **_him_** in the first place,” Eroeh hastily explained, awkwardly waving the notion off with a nervous smile. “He thought I needed to loosen up a bit, so of **_all_** the beings that inhabit his realm, he sent me a friggin Valkynaz **_Incubus_** ,” she groaned, trying to ignore the sensuously predatory looks the daedra was giving her, still not breaking eye contact. “ _Stop it-_ ” she chided awkwardly, rubbing a hand down his face to force him to blink. Samael simply chuckled, his deep, melodic voice making the private parts of the little elf, as well as the other females (and a few of the males) in the immediate vicinity tingle involuntarily.

Everyone was shifting uncomfortably in their seats and Serlas started to pick up on just what the Dremora in question was doing as he himself was feeling rather awkward in that moment. He cleared his throat loudly and said, “You said he can conjure anything for a price? How about an instrument? Is that possible?” He glanced over at Rona who was slowly turning red and said, “I haven’t heard you play the piano in a while dear. How would you like to perform something for us?”

Rona spoke quickly, keeping her eyes averted, feeling a strange tingling she couldn’t possibly explain down below, “Um, yeah, sure Ata…”

“A grand piano then, if you would Miss Eroeh - _quickly please_ ,” he urged her.

“You know what, that sounds like a great idea! Samael, if you don’t mind-” Eroeh stammered, trying to get her bearings and escape from the table. Before she could leave her seat however, Samael leaned over her and flattened his palms against the table, backing her up into the hard wood of the tabletop. _“Now now, you know my price, **Mistress~** ”_ he purred, leaning in close, his face so close she could see her reflection in the soft glow of his pearlescent white eyes. “Of course, silly me. How could I forget?” she chuckled awkwardly, swallowing hard. With a nervous breath, she closed the space between them, her lips meeting his gently as they sealed their deal.

Both the Arch-Mage’s eyes widened in surprise and Bishop’s grumbling became audibly apparent. Rona was sure she heard a cracking sound as he gripped the arms of his chair unusually hard. Casavir just stared in abject horror or disgust, it was hard to tell really, but either way his face absolutely screamed with his disapproval of what he was seeing. Rona just felt bad for Eroeh because of how uncomfortable she looked kissing this Daedric creature in front of literally an entire college of students, many of whom weren’t even bothering to hide their sudden gossiping.

Feeling mischievous, Samael cupped her jaw in his slender hand and held her mouth to his when she tried to pull away, giving her **_far_** more than she’d bargained for. Eroeh gasped against his mouth as the scent of cinnamon sugar flooded her senses, the sweetly spiced flavor of his breath the only thing she could taste as his tongue explored her mouth.

Being an Incubus, and a powerful one at that, Samael could have rendered most everyone in the dining hall **_including_** Eroeh a completely powerless, quivering mess if he so chose. Fortunately enough for them he enjoyed Eroeh’s constant defiance, and had decided early on in their partnership that he’d prefer to conquer the resistant elfling of her own volition, waiting instead for his little master to happily relinquish the whip and allow him to defile her to his black little heart’s content. He let out a soft, heady breath as he pulled his mouth from hers, smiling as he took his thumb and slowly wiped his saliva from his master’s lower lip.

With a deviously lust-drunk smirk Samael bit his lower lip and snapped his fingers inches from Eroeh’s face, conjuring an iridescently blue-black piano and stool across from their table. Chuckling lewdly the Dremora stood up straight, running his fingers through his shoulder length black hair and smoothing out the wide lapel of his coat.

Eroeh’s face burned in embarrassment, the bright red flush of her mortification spread across her cheeks, brightly coloring all the way to the pointed tips of her ears. With a squeak she noped the fuck away from the table and over to the piano as quickly as humanly possible, almost tripping over her own feet in her attempt to get away from her Daedra.

Seeing her friend’s discomfort Rona immediately got up, excusing herself and went to her. Bishop made to move too, but she quickly shoved him back into his chair, firmly by his shoulders and hissed, “Girl time. Now be a good boy and sit still.”

He scowled at her but she just ignored it and went around the table and up to Eroeh who was conveniently hiding her flushing face behind the upraised cover of the piano. It provided just barely enough privacy from the still murmuring crowd of students. Rona put a hand to the little Bosmer’s shoulder and asked, “Gods Eroeh, I’m sorry… I really didn’t think it through when we suggested you use the staff. Are you alright?” 

“I'm fine, and it's no big deal. Samael was just being unnecessarily **_extra_** is all.” Eroeh signed. “He doesn't usually pull stunts like that, but then again, he almost never has an audience. Usually when I summon him it's just me, or here these last two times a small group in the middle of a fight,” she tried to explain. “He's been trying to seduce me since day one, I should have seen that coming,” she stammered with a sigh, rubbing her temples and wiping a hand down her face.

Rona thought for a moment and said, “I’ll uh provide a distraction for you if you want to get out of here and take a minute. _Or_...” she smiled widely and mischievously all of a sudden, “How would you feel about singing your heart out and making all these fools melt? I can play anything you want on piano~” she crooned the last part enticingly.

Before Eroeh could answer, Samael sauntered over behind them, sitting down on the lushly padded piano bench and began effortlessly playing a quiet, elegant little tune while making sex eyes at both of the little elves. Eroeh’s nostrils flared as she tried to ignore him, and looked back to Rona. “Dream On. Do you know it?” she asked, her mouth feeling dry and mind swimming.

Shit. She didn’t know that one, “I don’t.” Then an idea popped into her head. One that made her blush brightly but also worked the Dwemer cogs in her head in regards to a certain paladin, “Maybe Samael would be willing to, er… bestow the knowledge on me?”

“I think he could do that,” she said tilting her head sideways in thought. “You can do that, right?” she asked, looking at the smug Dremora, whose eyes were closed as his fingers ghosted the keys. _“Of course I can, my lady. But be warned, little mortal. My price remains the same,”_ he purred, opening his eyes just enough to lock his gaze with Rona's. “Are you really sure you wanna do that?” Eroeh asked, looking back to the table at the paladin.

Her mouth twitched at the idea but she steeled her resolve, worked up her nerve and said, “Yes, I can do that.”

“Okay, if you’re that determined…” she trailed off, nodding her head reluctantly at the Dremora on the bench. With a slow gesture he held out a hand for the little Altmer, looking much like a venus fly trap awaiting its next victim. When she took his hand, he pulled her down onto the bench with him, holding her against him in a tight embrace with one arm, pinning her tightly to his chest. As he’d done with Eroeh he cupped her jaw in his slender fingers.

Rona stared up into the eyes of the frighteningly handsome and sexy Dremora. She wasn’t sure if it was his power or if it was her own eagerness that was making her so suddenly hot for what was about to happen. The few times she’d kissed before in her life were never as good as she’d wanted or expected it to be like. But after seeing how Samael kissed Eroeh she really wanted that experience.

He leaned down and flooded her senses with the taste and smell of him as his lips met hers. He let out a sultry purr against her lips as he parted them easily, and began freely exploring her mouth. He smiled against her at the thought of corrupting the little elf, wondering if she too would be as challenging of a quarry as his resistant master was.

The sensations in her mouth were like nothing she’d ever experienced before from a kiss. _Was that…? Cinnamon? Why did she like this?!_ Her senses were screaming and her body was aching for more. It was thrilling, exhilarating and mind numbing the way he made their tongues dance. She completely forgot that they had an entire audience in the room even as Bishop sat there snickering to himself and glanced over at the angrily reddening face of the paladin.

“Feeling jealous Rusty?”

Casavir didn’t hear him though, he was much too livid in that moment to hear anyone. Meanwhile Serlas was just rubbing the space between his eyes at what was happening, trying his damndest to remove himself from the room in that instance while his colleague kept nudging him in a provoking manner and muttering, “Do you perchance own a crossbow Serlas? Might be time to dust it off.”

“I killed plenty of those bastards during the Oblivion Crisis,” Serlas growled as his hands suddenly crackled with electricity, “I would not be afraid to do so again…”

Savos leaned back in his seat, and cleared his throat deciding wisely then to stop provoking the frightening Altmer.

When their kiss finished Samael pulled away and looked over his quarry, pleased with her lust-filled daze of an expression. As he went to turn away he was taken by complete surprise when she grabbed him by the hair, pulling him back down and said, “We’re going to need more instruments! I’m thinking some brass!” She quickly pressed her lips back to his and he blinked raising a brow as the little Altmer mauled his mouth with her own. _Well that was surprisingly easy…_ he thought. 

Eroeh stood there completely dumbfounded, and a little too turned on to be proud of, and cleared her throat. “Samael, I think that’s uh… that’s probably enough,” she muttered awkwardly, not sounding near as serious as she hoped. She was struggling to focus over the sound of the blood rushing in her ears.

They pulled apart again and he granted both her desires, not having a chance to grant the first when she was so quick. She grabbed him again though, and stammered, “We’ll need some percussion too! Oh! And people to play the instruments!”

_“RONA,”_ Eroeh squeaked. _“Your dad is **right there** , get ahold of yourself!”_ she chided as quietly as she could.

It was Samael who pushed the young woman off of him then and said irritably , “Yes. Thank you. That will suffice.”

Suddenly aware of the audience in the room Rona slowly sank back behind the upraised cover of the piano and kept her eyes away from the professor’s table. The absolute shame over what she just did led to a heat she could literally feel in her face, “Er… I don’t know what came over me.”

_“Surprisingly enough it wasn’t me…”_ the Dremora muttered quietly to himself with a sigh, fixing his hair. Clapping twice, he summoned the band he’d been paid in excess, and waved a plush lounge chair into existence off to the back of the room, taking a seat and stretching out sideways much like a lazy cat. Holding his hands out a bottle of Daedric wine and a delicate glass appeared in his hands, and he set to drinking as the girls got situated.

Rona took a deep breath and sat down at the grand piano, trying to shake off her earlier embarrassment. She looked over at the newly summoned band members, realizing they were all Dremora and all of them were wearing… questionable attire.

Eroeh about choked on air as the memory of her first meeting with Samael had come rushing back. The band consisted of several Dremora Incubi and succubi, all dressed in similar scraps of hardly concealing cloth, just as Samael once had. She’d had to beg him to put on clothes, using that request as her first official bargain with him.

The males broad, muscular chests were bare to the chill of the air, their torsos completely uncovered all the way to their hips, where an ornate, jewel encrusted belt held up their precariously tight leather pants. The females were no better dressed, with their ample bosoms barely concealed by vertical strips of black silk, tapering down and meeting in a sharp V at their hips, the front and back of the ‘dress’ barely held together with a simple golden threaded rope.

“Samael! Couldn’t you dress them a little more appropriately?!” Eroeh shrieked at the lazy looking Daedra through clenched teeth. _“I could, but where would the fun be in that?”_ he purred in return, taking another sip of wine. After seeing her expression hardening in his direction, he sighed and waved his hand, changing their clothes to more suitable attire of noble robes and dresses.

Satisfied with this sudden change in dress, Rona got a cue from the lead bassist and started playing the piano, keeping tempo with the rest of them. She was surprised at how good they sounded. Not even remotely scary like she thought it would considering where they all came from.

With an uncomfortable clear of the throat, Eroeh sat alongside Rona at the piano, facing backwards into the room. She listened along to the intro of the song, and drew in a deep breath as she began to sing.

[ **_Dream On_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq4KA0mUnC8)

_Every time when I look in the mirror  
All these lines on my face getting clearer  
The past is gone  
It went by, like dusk to dawn  
Isn't that the way  
Everybody's got the dues in life to pay  
I know nobody knows  
Where it comes and where it goes  
I know it's everybody sin  
You got to lose to know how to win_

Eroeh stood from the bench and slowly circled the piano, walking along the bench and sweetly running her fingers along Bishop and Casavir’s shoulders as she made her way around and into the second verse

_  
Half my life  
Is books, written pages  
Live and learn from fools and  
From sages  
You know it's true, oh  
All these feelings come back to you  
Sing with me, sing for the years  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away  
Yeah, sing with me, sing for the year  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away_

She hummed along, vocalizing softly and building in volume until she made her way back onto the piano, sitting on the closed lid. As her voice raised, she leaned back, rolling onto her front as she let the music fill her.

_  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream until your dreams come true  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream until your dreams come true  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on  
Dream on_

Rolling back onto her back, she hung her head off the side of the piano, one hand clutching her chest and the other outstretched towards the ceiling as the music slowed.

_  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away  
Sing with me, sing for the year  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away_

As Eroeh finished her song and the band music faded out Rona released a long breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. She looked out at the stunned crowd of students and in an instant they all stood up cheering and clapping loudly for them. Rona smiled feeling a great deal of relief to have taken their minds off all the awkward moments Samael had provided earlier. 

The Dremora stood up, also clapping. He yawned and stretched saying, “Well, my work here is done.” He clapped his hands and all the other Dremora and the instruments vanished. Rona hit the floor with a thump! As her seat disappeared underneath her and Eroeh hit the floor with a yelp, the Bosmer having still been laying on her back on the piano’s smooth top when he’d waved it from existence. But even when a few people giggled the cheering did not stop. Some were even crying for an encore.

She chanced a glance back at the table and saw her father smiling brightly down at her and clapping loudly and shouting, “Bravo ladies!”

Eroeh groaned and looked over at Samael, cutting her eyes as she rubbed the back of her head. “Ass…” she grumbled as he offered her a hand off the floor. She took it with no small amount of attitude and dusted herself off.

Rona tapped Eroeh’s shoulder and whispered, “Looks like we got the mage’s attention, hook line and sinker.” They both looked over at Darren who was biting his lip and giving them his most sensual and flirtatious look, which honestly, wasn’t much at all, in fact he looked like he was a bit constipated. Rona suppressed a giggle and gave a flirty wave back at him.

“Wow. That was easy,” Eroeh giggled, looping an arm through Rona’s. “So what do you want to do? Make our move now or….” she trailed off, smiling mischievously.

Darren made the first move, striding quickly across the floor, between all the students. Some were still clapping while others starting shuffling away, finished with their dinners. He came right up to them and said, “That was divine ladies and you know, it hasn’t escaped me that we’ve been eyeing one another all night… Perhaps I could interest you in a visit to the Frozen Hearth this evening.”

“That sounds great,” Rona said quickly.

Eroeh fought the urge to laugh, and gave the mage the most sincere smile she could manage. “We’d love to join you.”

“We’ll meet you there though, we uh… would like to get ready first.” Eroeh nodded emphatically in agreeance, glad for the stall.

“Wonderful!” He actually looked thrilled and turned away from them to immediately gloat to his male friends about scoring a date with two hot elves.

Serlas came around the table with Archmage-Aren at his side and said, “Well then ladies, it seems it’s about that time, perhaps I should show you where you can all sleep for the night?”

“That sounds good, Ata, we’re already pretty tired.”

“Oh? Did you not just accept an invitation to join Darren to the Frozen Hearth?”

“Err…” She practically kicked herself for thinking her father wouldn’t hear. He could hear _everything_.

Bishop came up to them with Karnwyr and even Casavir hot on his heels. His arms were crossed and he was scowling, “What’s this about you two meeting up with some mage down at the inn?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Bishop. Just a bit of fun between girlfriends is all,” Eroeh shrugged with a careless grin. “Besides, what’s it to you anyhow? Last I checked we were still two **_very_** eligible bachelorettes.”

She had him there. “ _What’s it to me?_ ” he scoffed, “I didn’t just spend the last _two days_ tending your wounds just to have you go running off and busting them open partying it up with some scrawny little mageling at the tavern!” he explained with a growl, trying to convince her, and perhaps even himself that it didn’t bother him for another reason.

“If I promise not to do anything that would risk my stitches, would it make you feel better?” Eroeh asked, batting her eyelashes at him. “No. What I **_want_** is for you to not be anywhere near that pompous little shit, but something tells me that’s out of the question.” He grumbled.

Stepping in closer to Eroeh, Bishop placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to where his warm breath tickled against her ear. “I don’t know what you’re up to Ladyship, but I know it’s nothing good,” he whispered, earning a mischievous giggle from the little Bosmer.

Eroeh placed a hand on his cheek, leaning in close to whisper something of her own. “It’s nothing to do with **_you_** , handsome. Just a little mischief and mayhem at blondie’s expense is all,” she purred in his ear before giving him a playful peck on the cheek.

Rona’s father cocked a brow at both girls and Rona just flashed him a sheepish grin. He sighed and led the way to the College dormitories and showed them all to a pair of spare rooms, each with two beds, one for the girls and one for the boys.

After speaking with them briefly about his schedule for the next day and where they could find him if needed, Serlas took his leave. 

Rona set her things aside, next to one of the beds and started sifting around her pack looking for some makeup she had, then she went around and started rummaging through the dressers and found a decent looking dress that could easily be modified with a little magic.

Eroeh sighed with a smile as she began sifting through the dressers and such on her side of the room, frowning at the bland assortment of blue and purple linen mages robes.

Rona was giggling to herself when Casavir peered in through the open door and knocked. She looked up and smiled at him. “Not going to sleep yet?” She asked.

“Soon enough, I am quite tired. I just…”

She looked at him expectantly as he paused and his face started to flush red. She raised a brow and asked, “Are you alright Casavir?”

He stuttered, “N-no… I mean yes, I’m fine. It’s just. May I ask you something Lady Rona?”

“Go _ooon_ ,” she smirked at his still reddening face.

He glanced over at Eroeh, who was grumbling to herself as she continued to dig through the dresser with a frown and said, “Perhaps in private?”

Rona shrugged, tossing the low-cut maroon dress aside and followed him a short ways around one of the winding staircases and into a quiet nook.

He confronted her, almost angrily so, “Why did you go along with kissing that Dremora?”

Now she was the one blushing. She’d completely forgotten about that in lieu of her  
planned night of mischief, “Er… well. I needed a band and um… that was the  
price to pay?”

“Yes I understand that, but you seemed all too eager.”

She just blinked at him, speechless that he was questioning her like that. Yet he just stood there, expecting an answer. Finally she mumbled, "I don't know... I was just having fun?"

He furrowed his brows at her and gave her a look like that wasn't a good enough reason to repeatedly kiss a sexy Daedric monster over and over again. "I have to be honest, I really thought you were better than that Lady Rona."

Now she was the one scowling at him. " _Excuse me?_ " She snapped at him.

"I just never thought you would be the type to do such a thing and with a creature like that," he attempted to clarify, but only shoved his foot in his mouth even further, "It was a monster my lady! What were you thinking!?"

"It was just a kiss Casavir. And he was human enough. Besides, Eroeh's kissed him plenty of times already."

"Only when necessary!" He argued, "I truly thought you were smarter than that. That vile creature was just using you, looking to sully you no less. You shouldn't have allowed that beast to stain your light like that."

" _My light?_ " She practically scoffed at him, "You don't know anything about me Casavir. I have never _once_ pretended that I was like... like some pure, virginal woman meant to be put on a pedestal. Unlike you I actually want to enjoy my life! I want to experience those kinds of things, whether you like it or not!"

"Is that what you think of me? That I chose this path so that I wouldn't get to enjoy my life or experience anything worthwhile?"

"That's exactly what I think!" She snarled at him as her ears peaked red in anger, "Why would any sane person choose a life where they wouldn't get to feel basic human emotions!? Like lust, Casavir! People feel lust! It's normal to desire someone! Yet every time you feel it you try to run away from it!"

He was so red in the face angry and embarrassed he looked like he would start spouting steam from his ears. But she carried on, completely ripping him a new one, "Or _love_ Casavir. That is _the_ _most_ basic emotion. How could you possibly throw that one away!? Have you even _felt_ love for someone else?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Oh wait, probably not because you just tossed it out with the rest of your emotions!"

"You don't know a damned thing!" He shouted back, jutting a finger at her, "Don't you dare fucking tell me that I don't know love! I loved her more than life itself and she-" he stopped immediately, looking like he wanted to swallow those words back up and the redness left his face so fast, replacing it with a nearly stark shade of white instead. He looked absolutely mortified by what he said.

She stared at him stunned and he quickly brushed past her without another word. Rona pursed her lips, and scowled, feeling extremely agitated. She was hoping to have made Casavir a little jealous with her kiss and maybe even get him rethinking these crazy vows of his, but her plan completely backfired on her. All it did was make him angry. She was surprised to have seen that side of him. He always did so well keeping his composure otherwise. She almost regretted laying it on so thick with the Dremora. _Almost_.

Rona hurried back to the room where Eroeh was busy getting ready for their little date with Darren. She started to apply her own makeup and fixed up the low-cut maroon dress to fit her size with her magic.

“Everything okay, Rona?” The little Bosmer questioned carefully. “Did that powder brush say something crude about your Ata or something?” she chuckled nervously, eyeing the flared and battered makeup brush in Rona’s hand.

"I'll tell you later," Rona said dismissively, still feeling irritated over the whole situation.

As soon as they finished getting ready and gave each other a quick once over, both girls quickly took their leave, making their way to the Frozen Hearth. Rona was ready to have some fun and she wasn't about to let someone else's prudishness or their crazy vows stop her.

Eroeh pulled her bearskin cloak tighter around her, having decided rather stupidly to just wear her wine red tavern dress for the evening. With a quick cast of resist frost her teeth stopped chattering as she trudged through the knee-deep snow, thankful that her doeskin lined thigh-high boots were as tall and warm as they were.

Bishop was laying back on the spare bed, squished up next to Karnwyr and stroking his fur while he stared hard at the ceiling feeling rather agitated himself. The minute Casavir walked in he sought to relieve some of his irritation by provoking the paladin.

"Got into a fight with your girl, huh?"

Casavir was undressing from his armor and pulling on his night clothes when he replied firmly, "She is _not_ my girl."

"Pft, as if. With the way you were looking at her all night it's almost like you two were newlyweds or something. 'Course the bride kept flouncing off into the arms of another man, and as usual you didn't have the balls to do anything about it."

"Shut your mouth Bishop," Casavir warned, shooting him a glare over his shoulder.

Bishop smirked, "Still hot-headed, eh? And I always thought **_I_** knew what rage was, but no. You definitely have me beat there, don't you Cas?" Casavir tried to ignore him as he pulled his linen trousers on. Bishop just kept on talking though, only this time he sounded more serious, "So. You just gonna let some little mageling take your girl like that? Like how you let Thorn take Luka?"

Casavir snapped, standing upright from the bed and rushed Bishop, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and holding a fist up, ready to beat his face in. The ranger just gave him a cocky grin and breathed, "Knew you'd never be able to control that anger of yours. As if some stupid fucking vows would ever keep **_you_** under control.” He chuckled then, “Some things never change, do they Cas?"

Casavir lowered his fist and leaned in close to Bishop's face, each word lined with hatred, "Her blood is as much on my hands, as it is yours."

"Yeah, you're right," Bishop said, narrowing his eyes, "But **_you're_** the only one with my brother's blood on them."

"Fuck you, Bishop," Casavir spat at him and thrust him back, releasing him. He turned away, planning to stuff his ears with cotton if he had to that night, just to drown his bastard of a roommate out when the ranger started talking again, "You never answered my question. Are you just gonna let that mageling get a piece of her like that, or what?"

"You're one to talk Bishop, considering **_your_** girl left as well."

There was a deep moment of pause between them when finally Bishop scoffed, "Yeah, you know what? **_Fuck this!_** I don't know about you, but I am **_not_** letting some blond, pompous little dress-wearing _freak_ get his hands on what’s mine."

With that, Bishop yanked his boots on and stomped out the door. Karnwyr huffed, staying behind to enjoy the warmth and comfort of the bed. Casavir stared after him for a moment when he suddenly felt compelled to follow suit, pulling his own boots and cloak on before chasing after the man.


	12. Explosions At The Inn

**Setting: The Frozen Hearth Inn, Winterhold**

“Oh c’mon Darren! You’re telling me that in the _two **years**_ since I last saw you, that you haven’t learned anything but **_ice_** _magic?_ ” Eroeh chuckled, drinking deeply from her wooden tankard. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. It’s been a talent of mine for as long as I can remember, my dear. You _know_ this, or at least you should. We spoke at such great lengths the last we crossed paths,” the blond mage replied with a disappointed sigh before taking a careful sip from his goblet.

“Speaking of which, do I not remember you having more of a preference for _spiced wine_?” he purred, raising an eyebrow at the little Bosmer. “I do, but we both know just how well **_that_** turns out,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Yes, yes we do. I distinctly remember you dancing on the table at one point, and being carried off by that dreadfully self-absorbed Khajiit friend of yours, _J’zargo_ before we were finished with our evening.” He smiled then, placing a hand on hers and stroking her knuckles with the pad of his thumb. “If my memory serves correct, you were petting his moustache and calling him your _‘Pretty Kitty’_ as he hauled you back to the dormitories to sleep it off,” Darren scoffed, amusing himself with the memory.

_And thank Talos’ hairy tits for that._ Eroeh thought with a relieved sigh. _Otherwise I might have lost my maidenhood in a drunken one night stand. With **you** of all people…_ she grimaced slightly, trying to play it cool. “Yeah, he still hates it when I call him that,” she laughed as Rona made her way to their table. “Welcome to the party!” Eroeh greeted warmly, thankful that she no longer had to suffer the mages company alone.

Rona plopped unceremoniously into a chair, nearly spilling her very full goblet of wine. She was trying to enjoy herself but still felt incredibly annoyed by her earlier fight with Casavir and couldn’t stop going over everything he’d said to her, especially the last thing he shouted at her.

She took a deep gulp from the goblet and remembering the crazy plan they’d come up with on the way to the inn earlier started playing the flirtatious card, looking to cozy up to the mage and get him thinking they wanted to bed him that night.

“So Darren, my Ata - er, father - he says that you’re an incredibly powerful destruction mage, is that right?” She set her drink aside, leaning her elbows on the table and rested her head on the tops of her hands. 

Eroeh fought the urge to roll her eyes as Darren perked up.

“Oh,” he grinned, “So Arch-Mage Thoraminh mentioned me did he? It’s nice to know he recognizes talent when he sees it. I really wasn’t sure he had noticed my skills. His class has been rather difficult for me this semester. Master Fralerius graded on a curve, you see, but your father… well, he’s very particular,” Rona was just staring at him with half-lidded eyes at that point. He seemed to get the hint and stumbled, “That’s not to say that he isn’t a good professor, no of course not, he’s very humorous most days and an absolute master with his magic,” then he put a hand to hers and made what she assumed was an attempt at ‘ _the smolder_ ’ and said, “Perhaps you could speak with him lovely rose, on behalf of the entire class, maybe get him back to grading on a curve. We would all appreciate it very much.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said stiffly. 

Eroeh took a long, _loud_ , **_deep_** drink from her tankard then, trying to break up the awkwardness of the conversation. “I never understood grading on a curve. I mean, you’re learning **_magic_** , not mathematics. It should be something graded by the individuals _talent_ and _ability_ , not around how their peers manage…” she sighed. “But that’s just me I suppose.”

“Hm, yes, well… if you think so. Anyhow, Miss Thoraminh-”

Eroeh made a face briefly at the mage in response, blinking as she processed just how bitchy his statement had come across. _Bitch, I will cut you._ She thought, fighting a scowl.

“Please, just Rona is fine.”

“Yes, Rona,” he put on his most charming smile, “You must be very talented with your own magic, considering who your father is.”

Eroeh snorted mid-drink, choking a little as she tried not to laugh.

Rona blushed, turning her head away, “ _Weeelll_ … I wouldn’t say _thaaat_ …”

“Oh come now, don’t be so modest. Master Thoraminh is the most renowned Destruction mage in Cyrodiil, perhaps even all of Tamriel. I’m sure training directly with him since you were young has allowed you to surpass even the masters of the College here.”

Rona put a hand to her mouth and awkwardly cleared her throat, “Um… well you see-”

He grasped her hands suddenly and got very close, a little too close and said, “I hope I’m not being too bold when I say that I find powerful women like yourself, lovely rose, to be _very_ attractive. Maybe you can give us a little taste of your talent?”

She leaned back and looked over at Eroeh with a face that screamed, _HELP I can’t do magic_.

Eroeh’s face was turning purple as she fought the urge to just die. Rona was awful at magic and **_they both_** knew it. If Darren wanted to see what she could do, he was better off having her demonstrate her magical _‘abilities’_ as _faaaaaaaaaaaaaar_ away as they could get from any form of civilization. “That might not be the best idea,” Eroeh chuckled, disguising a laugh with a cough. Thank the gods for small miracles, as just then Casavir and Bishop came stomping through the inn’s door, neither looking very pleased.

“Hey guys, what are you doing here?” Eroeh asked nervously, trying to keep an unsuspecting smile up. _Shit,_ she thought. _We’re fuckin busted._

Rona’s eyes widened incredulously at the sight of the two men bursting in. But even more so at Casavir dressed down in just his linen nightclothes and a pair of boots covered in snow. Both men looked incredibly irate but Casavir started turning red, angry red, at the sight of Darren holding her hands. Maybe it was her face, or her posture or the obvious look she was giving that screamed, make him stop touching me, but Casavir seemed to take that as a go ahead to storm right over and shout at the much tinier Darren, “UNHAND HER KNAVE!”

Darren immediately let go as the giant Breton of a man loomed furiously over him. He gaped at him and scoffed, “I beg your pardon! What did you just call me!?”

“ _A dishonest or unscrupulous man._ ” Bishop explained nonchalantly. Eroeh laughed aloud, unable to fight it any longer. What killed her the most was Darren’s expression at his words, his face plainly asking _‘wait a minute, you’re literate?’_

“What,” Bishop asked with a shrug. “I read.”

”Casavir!” Rona snapped at him, “ _What_ are you doing!?”

He looked at her surprised, “Well - I - he… it was very clear you didn’t want him touching you my lady, so I came to put a stop to it.”

She raised a brow at him, “You came all the way here just to stop Darren from _touching_ me?”

Eroeh brought her hand to her face, letting out a deep groan of irritation. _Of course they’d show up and ruin the fun…_ She thought with a grimace

Rona knew exactly how it sounded, and she wanted it to sound that way so he could realize how absolutely _ridiculous_ he was being. His face was still burning red, although this time he looked deeply embarrassed.

Darren gave a haughty chuckle and said, “I wouldn’t mind getting back to that touching lovely rose. Maybe we can get some privacy away from these savage brigands following you around. I wouldn’t mind renting a room,” he looked over at Eroeh and flashed her a teasing smile, “You’re more than welcome to join us of course Eroeh.”

Eroeh couldn’t help the incredulous look she gave the mage without thinking. Apparently he had no sense of self-preservation.

“Don’t even think about it mageling,” Bishop growled warningly as he moved closer to their table.

“Oh, such a vicious, rabid wolf you have there,” Darren taunted mockingly, “Best watch yourself savage man. I am a renowned ice mage you know.”

Bishop put a hand to his dagger and snarled, “And I’m not afraid to cut a bitch.” 

Eroeh snorted at the ranger’s words, not having expected them. “ _Bishop!_ ” she snickered sharply, fighting laughter.

Darren rolled his eyes at him and turned back to the women, “Well, if you ladies would care to join me, I say we leave these two,” he looked both Bishop and Casavir up and down with a sneer, “ _brutes_ to scorch their hides by the fire while we enjoy ourselves as we were before they so _rudely_ interrupted us.”

Rona stood up then, ready to just call it a night now that their plans to mess with the mage had been completely foiled, but Casavir took it completely the wrong way, “My lady! Tell me you’re not actually planning to share a - a _room_ with this man! You don’t even know him!”

Eroeh took a long drink from her tankard then, her large hazel eyes darting between the pair nervously.

Rona glared at Casavir then and snapped, “I hardly know you either Casavir and what’s it to you who I spend my time with!?”

“I am only looking out for you Lady Rona… I mean, what would your father think of this behavior!?”

Unbeknownst to her, her hands had started to smolder with flames as she got more and more heated. “You’re really going to try and throw that in my face!? I’m not a child! My father respects my privacy and treats me like an adult! Maybe you could learn to do the same!”

“Perhaps if you had some respect for yourself then maybe I would too!” He practically roared at her.

Eroeh downed what was left of her mead and slowly made her way across the inn floor, joining the innkeeper in ducking behind the bar while still peeking over the hardwood countertop.

“THAT’S IT!” She screamed at him, her fires nearly enveloping her arms now, “I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO ME OR WHY YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT TO DO BUT I’M _NOT_ HAVING IT!”

“Umm… **_Rona…_** ” Eroeh called out nervously from behind the sturdy wood, apparently unheard over the bickering.

Darren was staring at her wide-eyed and awkwardly cleared his throat, “Erm, lovely rose… Miss Thoraminh-”

“WHAT!?” She snapped at him, making her fires explosively lick and touch the wooden chair she was gripping. It started to smolder.

“ ** _RONA!_** _IT’S NOT WORTH IT, **CHILL OUT!**_ ” Eroeh tried again, still to no avail. Damn her cute, tiny voice.

Rona was absolutely fed up with the mage too. He irritated her to no end. He was just like every other man trying to use her for her status and relationship to her father to get something he wanted and she utterly loathed him for that.

Her snapping at him seemed to shut him up entirely though, as he just stared at her with a terrified look. And then the ranger opened his goddamned mouth.

“Yo Red! Calm down will yah! You’re about to burst into flames!”

She knew she was red in the face. She was absolutely pissed - she couldn’t help it. But his snarky nicknames and comments were all it took to finally release the floodgates of her rage then.

“MY NAME IS _RONA_ YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHIT TOO! JUST LEAVE. ME. ALONE!”

That’s when she noticed it and it was far too late. The fire magic was enveloping her entire body and started to lash outward explosively all around her.

“ ** _BISHOP!_** ” Eroeh yelled out frantically before being roughly yanked down behind the countertop. When she hit the floor she threw her arms out, manifesting as strong of a ward as she could in her still injured state to protect herself, the innkeeper, and a tavern girl who hadn’t been fortunate enough to make it to the door.

Bishop yelped, “FUCK!” And ran behind a table, throwing it down to use as a shield while the few other patrons in the tavern booked it out the front door. Darren threw up his own hands, trying to envelope himself in a shield of ice while Casavir threw his arms up to protect his face.

The entire tavern was suddenly filled with the loud explosions of fire bursting forth and she tried so hard to stop it to no avail. The view from outside was no less terrifying as the patrons who’d escaped watched as the windows lit up brightly and then dimmed before lighting up again as fireworks went off in the building. And then it finally stopped.

The room was absolutely filled with smoke and those who were left inside started to cough and wave the floating ash away. Rona just stood there, covered head to toe in black soot, her hair frizzled up in a wild look, stuck back, away from her face.

“Is it over?” Eroeh asked over the counter, carefully releasing her ward to check on her friends. “Everybody still alive over there?”

Rona was mortified but even more so when Darren started dusting off his robes and sneered, angrily, “Gods… you nearly _killed_ us. I thought the daughter of one of the greatest destruction mages in history would have more control over her magic than that.”

Eroeh chucked a bowl from behind the counter at the stupid mage, her eyebrows furrowed in his direction as she nailed him in the back of the head. He looked back towards her, and received the most dangerous of faces the little Bosmer could manage, freezing him in place.

Rona felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to see Casavir just as much of a blackened mess as her, although he was much more sympathetic than Darren. “Lady Rona, are you alright?”

She threw his hand from her shoulder and ran out the front door. She could feel the cold starting to freeze the tears on her cheeks but she didn’t care. She knew exactly who she needed in that moment and it was none of those awful men.

She raced back up to the college and pulled the school map out of her pocket, giving it a quick once over and found the large circle on it. That was her destination. She hurried through the student housing and up to one of the highest towers in the castle, then rapped sharply and quickly on the only door there and heard a man call sleepily, “Just a moment…”

In seconds her father opened the door and she threw herself at him, gripping him in a tight hug and sobbed into his night robe. He was surprised and pat her on the back, “Velvyn, what’s wrong dear? Whatever happened to your hair?” He asked as he grasped a few of her singed bits of hair.

She shook her head, mumbling something nonsensical against his clothes and he sighed and smiled softly, ushering her inside, “Come along then, let Ata make it better with some of his famous Jazbay tea…”

\---

Eroeh groaned as she pulled herself off of the floor, putting undue amounts of stress on her bandaged arms as she used them for support on the countertop. “Bishop, Cas, are you okay?” she asked through gritted teeth before receiving her answer in the form of Bishop’s steady hands helping her upright. “A little sooty and a bit freaked out, but nothing too serious. Are you okay though? It looks like you’re bleeding.” he responded as gently as he could, looking at her bandaged forearms.

“Dammit. Yeah I think I busted my stitches when I threw up that ward,” she groaned as she watched small splotches of bright crimson bloom beneath her bandages.

“Casavir, are you okay? You just kind of took that head on…” Eroeh asked carefully, looking at the dejected and embarrassed paladin. “Hm? Oh… yes, I’m quite alright Lady Eroeh. I’ve taken far worse than that in my life…” he trailed off, lost in thought as he looked at the door.

Aside from the soot and the smoldered chair Rona had been using, the inn was still mostly intact structurally. “Well this is going to be a right pain in the ass to clean up…” the innkeeper frowned, wiping a finger across the layer of black on the countertop.

“Sorry. I can help if need be, but I don’t think I’ll be too much good to you like this…” Eroeh sighed, flashing her forearms at the disgruntled Nord. “No, that’s quite alright. I don’t need you bleeding all over the place,” he responded with a sigh, giving her an absent minded pat on the shoulder before going to fetch a basket of clean rags and a bucket of water.

“Please, allow me to assist you at least. I feel this is particularly my own doing…” Casavir said with a sigh, extending a sooty hand to the innkeeper. “Fine, if you’re determined. Just don’t muck the place up anymore than you already have.” the old Nord grumbled, tossing a rag to the thoroughly blackened paladin.

“I’m gonna go check on Rona, I think I know where she went…” Eroeh said as she cast her healing magic, the soft golden glow enveloping her arms and staunching the bleeding. Grabbing her soot-covered bearskin cloak off the back of her chair, she shook it off and made for the exit.

“Alone,” she clarified as the ranger attempted to follow her out the door. “I’ll come back for you guys once I know she’s okay. I’ll show you guys where to find the baths at the college when I get back. All of us could use it now, honestly.” She chuckled, looking the ranger and paladin up and down before walking out the door.

Trudging out into the heavy snowfall Eroeh drew the hood of her cloak closer around her face and cast a quick resist frost spell to fight the bite of the cold wind. Walking across the crumbling bridge back to the campus she thought hard about how their night of mostly harmless fun had been foiled by the ranger and paladin. _They could just stake a claim if they’re that concerned, but noooo…._ She thought with a roll of her eyes. _They have to be all macho meathead about it._

She was grateful the gate hadn’t quite been closed for the night, not wanting to deal with the obstinate thing. Walking around, she luckily caught her old conjuration master Phinis Gestor wandering the halls. He was absentmindedly reading an old tome with a reanimated chicken contentedly following at his heels. “Master Phinis! Could you tell me where Archmage Thoraminh is staying?” she asked without any sort of context, earning a raised eyebrow from the old Breton.

“Of course Miss Whitepaw, but might I ask why you would need to see him at such a late hour?” he asked, carefully setting his bookmark between the worn pages and closing it gently.

“I need to speak with his daughter, and I have a feeling she’s run off to see him. I just need to make sure she’s okay. We had a bit of an… _incident_ , at the inn…” she explained nervously. “No casualties or injuries, just a lot of soot and smoke damage. The cleanup is already underway.” she said hastily, holding up her hands innocently.

“Very well,” Phinis sighed, patting his leg to get the undead chicken’s attention. With a ghastly sounding cluck it flapped its wings and flew up, settling on the mage’s shoulder. “Do I even want to know what happened to that thing?” Eroeh asked, eyeing the undead bird warily. “Probably not,” he responded simply. “Come along, the visiting Archmage’s quarters are this way,” he said, walking towards the nearby stairs.

** Setting ** **: Archmage Thoraminh’s chambers**

Weaving through the corridors they finally arrived at a large wooden door, and with a bow, Phinis turned on his heel and slowly made his way back towards his own quarters. “Arch-Mage Thoraminh?” She called out carefully, rapping on the door.

“It seems your good friend has come calling,” Serlas’ voice sounded muffled through the door, and then he called, “Just a moment.”

“Is Rona in there by any chance? I figured she might have come to see you. We had a bit of an incident at the inn, and I just… I wanted to make sure she was okay.” She explained nervously, hoping she hadn’t disturbed the old elf for nothing.

Serlas opened the door and smiled down at the young Bosmer, “Ah Miss Eroeh, please do come in,” he stepped aside allowing her to come into his very magical looking living space.

“Thank you,” Eroeh said softly, stepping into the room. “Rona, hey. Are you okay? You just kind of took off on us…” she asked carefully, reaching out and placing a reassuring hand on the tiny Altmer’s shoulder.

Rona looked up at her from her seat on the poofy couch with red swollen eyes. After already blabbing her guts to her father, she wasn’t in much of a mood to keep talking that evening.

The sound of a tea kettle whistling loudly caught Serlas’ attention and he said, “Ah, that will be the tea. Would you care for a cup Miss Eroeh?”

“Oh, um… yes, thank you. That would be lovely.” she responded with an anxious smile. Looking back at Rona, her face fell a bit. “Seriously though, are you okay?”

“Men are such fucking idiots…” Rona grumbled, wiping a stray tear from her eye. 

“Language velvyn,” her father called from up at his tiny kitchen where he’d started pouring the tea and setting three cups onto a tray.

“Sorry Ata! It’s true though,” she muttered the last part under her breath.

“I mean… If you look at the bright side, at least now they won’t ask you to show them your magic anymore,” she shrugged with a dumb grin, hoping to make light of a rough situation.

Rona pressed a hand to her face and groaned. It really had been just like the Mage’s Guild all over again, humiliating herself with her poor magic skills.

“Look, I know you wanted to come up here to spend time with your Ata. I just want you to know that we can leave here at **_any_** time, just say the word whenever you’re ready, and we’re gone. **_With or without_** the meatheads,” she explained soberly. “If all else we can always ditch the dopes and carry on adventuring. Just the two of us, if you want,” she said with a sigh. “I’m not gonna lie though and say I wouldn’t miss their company, even with as stupid as they’re acting.”

Serlas came back down with a magically floating tray of tea and pastries and took a seat. They each took a cup, adding their preferred number of lumps of sugar and quietly sipped on their piping hot drinks.

Rona thought about what Eroeh had said for a moment realizing that she also would have missed the men’s company, even the ranger, as insufferable as he could be sometimes. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out what Casavir’s problem was though. The rude things he’d said to her that evening left her feeling deeply confused. 

On the one hand, he seemed to like her, because why else would he go out of his way to interfere with what obviously seemed like a date with Darren? And why would it have bothered him so much that she kissed the Dremora? Yet his remarks towards her, all the wild accusations… it was almost like they weren’t necessarily directed at her. It just didn’t make sense.

“I don’t know about you,” Eroeh piped up again, “but I know **_I_** certainly don't mind the eye candy, **_or_** the backup for that matter. Plus Cas has proven he can take a hit like a champ,” Eroeh snorted. “Besides, they're too much fun to mess with, and something tells me that even if we **_did_** ditch them, Bishop will just track us down until we let him stay. He's kind of like a lost, dirty puppy that way…”

Rona laughed over her teacup and her father took a long drought before setting his aside and clasping his hands together in his lap.

“I’m of a mind to agree with Miss Eroeh,” he glanced at her, “perhaps, minus the ‘eye-candy’ part, as she so kindly put it,” he chuckled, “But if you plan to travel more throughout Skyrim velvyn, you’ll want to stay with a larger group. These lands are extremely harsh and dangerous, I really would prefer it if you all traveled together. Especially knowing that there are dragons about… Unless of course you would like to stay here and train at the college,” he grinned mischievously at her.

Rona’s eyes widened at that notion and she shook her head furiously, “No way! I’m sorry Ata… as much as I’d love to spend more time here with you, I really don’t think I’d do well sitting around… _practicing_ magic… or reading _all day_...” she made a bored snoring sound.

He laughed and said, “I thought as much. Well, I think it will do you some good to explore your homeland. Get a feel for the Nordic culture and when you’re looking to take a break and you happen to be in the area, you’re always free to come see me. I have another good six months here while the Destruction Master is still out on her maternity leave.”

Rona looked at Eroeh and said, “I don’t mind the boys coming along with us, but I swear if Casavir keeps acting up like he has been… I can’t guarantee that I won’t lose control of my magic again and blow the whole place to smithereens.”

Serlas snickered as he took another sip of his tea, “I always knew it was a good thing your mother couldn’t use magic.” Rona frowned at him and he just smiled brightly at her saying, “Well you must admit Rona dear, you did inherit her famous Nordic temper, as well as her ability to turn twenty shades of pink!”

“ _Ataaa!_ ” She whined, turning very pink indeed at his comment.

Serlas cleared his throat and said, “Well, if you’re both feeling better now, I do have a class bright and early in the morning and I’m not as young as I used to be, so I will need to get a full night of my beauty sleep.”

Rona set her cup back on the tray, got up and gave her father a tight hug, “(Thank you for listening, Father).”

He smiled at her, “(Always, daughter. Now run along and get some rest!)” he glanced at Eroeh, taking quick note of her bloodied bandages and said, “But first, allow me to apply some more healing magic to those wounds of yours Miss Eroeh,” he stood up and crouched down beside her, grasping each arm separately and whispered several long lines of incantations in Aldmeris, healing the injuries as best he could. When he finished he stood up and said, “I do hope you’ll remain here for another few days until you’re fully healed of course.”

“Of course Archmage, however long you think is best for both of us,” Eroeh said sweetly. Taking Rona’s arm in her own, the girls left the old Altmer to get his rest, with Eroeh guiding her companion along the corridors. “So, you wanna hit the bathhouse here on campus before you go to bed? ‘Cause I’ve gotta tell you, it’s absolutely _divine…_ ” Eroeh trailed off with a smile. “One might consider it the best part of being a student here. Plus, with as late as it is, there shouldn’t be anyone else around, so it’ll be _nice and quiet~_ ” She tried to tempt her in a sing-song voice, wiggling her eyebrows playfully.

Rona looked over her dirt covered hands and clothes and said, “Honestly that doesn’t sound like a bad idea. And uh… sorry about all that. I really did try to stop it...”

“No harm, no foul,” Eroeh giggled, leaning into her as they walked. “We were all beginners once.”

With that, Eroeh led her up to the fourth floor of the college and showed her into the enormous bathhouse right above the Hall of Elements, which was completely empty that late at night. Rona was floored by the size of the place. It had two enormous pools, designed to look like some very sparkling, clean ponds inset into the floor and separated by a large divider. There were live and thriving plants neatly arranged all around the pools and along the smooth stone pathways leading around the pools. It actually looked and felt like they were outside on a warm spring day somewhere in Cyrodiil. 

The two pools had been sectioned off with large rock-faces towering at least twelve feet high, with one side meant for the men and the other for the women. There was no way to see the other pool without climbing up and looking over the walls. There were some cabinets set around and filled with fluffy white towels and several nooks bore into the rocks full of different soaps, shampoos and perfumes.

The whole place had been magically enchanted so that one felt as if they were bathing outside with wildlife sounds, a fresh breeze and beautiful waterfalls cascading off neatly placed rock formations all along the edges of the pools. It was by far one of the most incredible rooms she’d ever been in. It was even more impressive than the bath house at the Arcane University.

Rona wasted no time picking a preferred rosy smelling soap and shampoo and getting undressed and stepping right into the perfectly warmed water.

“You go ahead and get started, I’ve uh… gotta go grab something real quick. Be back before you know it!” Eroeh chirped, bounding off with a smile on her face before Rona could say anything.


	13. Sneak A Peek At That Tree Trunk

**Setting: The Frozen Hearth Inn, Winterhold**

After leaving Rona in the college’s bath house, the little Bosmer returned to the inn to retrieve the two sooty males, their work on the inn’s interior more than noticeable.

“Hey,” she greeted sweetly. “I just thought I’d come get you two before it got too late. I’m sure neither of you is opposed to a bath before turning in tonight,” Eroeh said with a soft smile as she shook the snow from her hair, two folded sets of simple linen clothes clutched close to her chest, as well as a change of clothes for herself.

Casavir wiped the sweat from his brow and only managed to smeer more of the soot from his hands across his face. He held them both out and said, “I definitely could use a bath…”

“You know if you just wanted to get us naked, all you had to do is ask,” Bishop chuckled as they made their way back across the bridge to the college. 

“Bishop!” Casavir scoffed at the ranger, who just raised his brow snarkily a few times in reply.

“I know **_that_** , but you both got the worst of that blast… well… besides that shithead Darren, at least,” she chuckled. “Point is, you’re both coated in ash and smell like old chimneys and _ass_ , so naturally, the _polite_ thing to do is to show you guys where you can wash up so you’re not tracking that shit all over the dorms. The housekeeping staff here at the college have enough on their hands as is with their everyday work, they don’t need you two _**soot demons**_ making their lives more difficult than it has to be,” she explained as they neared the end of the bridge.

“Of course my lady,” Casavir agreed, “We would never want to overburden the college staff by leaving more of a mess for them.”

“Whatever,” Bishop mumbled with his hands thrown up casually behind his head.

Whispering the incantation for the main gate, she was relieved that it opened the first time around, allowing them passage onto the quiet campus. “I hope you don’t mind Cas, but the bathing area is co-ed. I’m fairly certain there won’t be anyone in there this late, though. Or at least there wasn’t when I left there to come get you guys.” Seeing the paladin’s face turning red beneath the powdered soot coating his face, she waved her arms innocently, blurting “But don’t worry about that, there are screens and dividers up to keep your modesty in tact!”

Casavir blushed even harder at her comment, the exposed parts of his skin beneath the soot turning a deep shade of crimson. “Would that be appropriate?” he croaked nervously, his voice breaking slightly at the thought of other people bathing themselves so near to them. “It’s fine,” Eroeh laughed. “Like I said, there's screens and barriers between the two sides,” Eroeh explained with a chuckle. “I mean we're all adults here, right? I think you’ll manage to fight the urge to peek just fine, Casavir.”

Bishop let out a lewd chuckle, his eyes darkened with his own filthy thoughts. “Don't even think about getting into trouble, ranger **.** Both of you are at the top of Rona’s shit list right now as it is. You should be grateful I convinced her to let you stay with us after the shit you two pulled tonight,” Eroeh bit through her clenched jaw. “Honestly though, was it too much to let us mess with the mage? We weren’t going to do anything **_he’d_** be happy about...” she groaned. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Bishop questioned with a raised brow. “Yes,” Casavir said, awkwardly clearing his throat. “I too am curious of your meaning.”

Eroeh sighed and carried on through the main courtyard, fighting to open the heavy doors leading into the Hall of Elements. Seeing her strain, Bishop and Casavir rushed forward to push open the doors, not wanting to pop her stitches more than she already had. “Thanks,” she said quietly, ducking between the two men to get inside.

“Please understand that we were in no way, shape, or form going to sleep with **_Darren_** ,” Eroeh snorted. “There’s not enough gold in all of Tamriel for **_that_**. The fact of the matter is that he’s been a snotty little _creep_ ever since we got here, so Rona and I were just going to knock him down a peg...” she explained nervously, her eyes cast towards the floor as she led them down a winding set of stairs and down a corridor. “The plan was to just get him good and _drunk_ , let him think he’d got lucky enough to land the both of us, and when his guard was down, we’d leave him tied naked to a bed with his clothes soaking wet and frozen solid in the snow…” she said quickly, her face turning a bright shade of red as she felt their eyes boring into her head.

Bishop burst into laughter while Casavir just gaped horrified at her and said, “Lady Eroeh… that’s absolutely abhorrent!”

“It’s fucking hilarious is what it is!” Bishop snorted and then he whispered so only the paladin could hear, “Besides, weren’t you just going on and on about how you were going to snap the little mage’s neck the whole way there Cas?”

Casavir burned red and couldn’t even form a reply to that. He had in fact started losing his temper to the extreme, just thinking of the mage getting his hands all over… he shook his head and stared straight forward, keeping in step with Eroeh.

“Yeah, well **_he_** deserves it,” she frowned, stopping outside of one door in particular along the hallway. “He’s a pompous, self-centered _asshole_ who thinks he’s Dibella’s irresistible gift to women. The last time I spoke to him was the night before my graduation, and I was too piss-drunk to **_remember my own name_**. If not for J’zargo, that blond little shit would have carried me off to his room and had his way with me regardless...” She explained with a shaky voice, her expression a mix of shame and anger.

Bishop bristled at this information, his eyes hardening as he turned as if to go hunt the little mageling down himself. He hadn’t managed to make it more than two steps before being pulled back, Eroeh’s delicate fingers gripping the back of his sleeve. “ _He’s not worth it,_ ” she whispered somberly, her lowered eyes curtained by her hair. “ _But_ _you **are** ,_” he answered calmly, exhaling deeply as he realized she wasn’t letting go.

“Well… I must apologize Miss Eroeh. I had no idea that the mage had done that to you. Still… there must have been a better way to resolve the issue. Perhaps sharing your grievances with the Arch-Mage or another professor?”

“We were both adults Casavir, no matter which way you look at it. I should have been more responsible. Darren may be a lot of terrible things, but he’s also _insanely_ smart, and **_deeply_** connected in the magically inclined community. You have to understand that he’s not just a mage. He’s also a noble, and his family is one of the few benefactors that the college has,” she explained with a grimace. “If he’d had any inkling tonight that I knew about what happened before, he wouldn’t have let me anywhere near him to wring his skinny neck.”

She let out a deep, resigned breath, still looking at the floor, “I appreciate your concern though guys, really. But I'd rather leave here without making any more waves for the college than we already have if that's okay. We’ve done enough as it is. Anyways, the bath is here through these doors…” Eroeh sighed, releasing Bishop's sleeve and quietly pushing open the simple wooden door in front of her.

** Setting ** **: Campus Bath House, College of Winterhold**

The minute both men stepped inside their eyes widened in amazement.

“Whoa,” Bishop murmured. Casavir quietly agreed as he looked around the massive and impressive room. Then Bishop asked, “Did we… are we _outside_? It’s **_freezing_** outside. How the hell?!”

“It’s enchanted,” Casavir said, “I’d heard of the College’s famous bathhouse but I have to admit this is far more impressive than I ever imagined. Even the ceiling is enchanted to look like a bright midday sky...”

“C’mon, I’ll show you to the men’s area,” Eroeh said to Casavir and Bishop with a proud smile, making her way across the large room towards two screened-in areas with partial stone walls. “Here. I’ll get these clothes set aside for you so you’ll have something clean to wear to bed. I’ll be on the other side of the wall if you need me, but-” she started, but stopped as she turned around, caught off guard by the sight of Bishop nonchalantly stripping out of his clothes.

Eroeh sighed, “-but umm… I’ll make sure your clothes make it to the housekeepers to be washed and ready by morning once we’re done,” she finished, her cheeks tinted pink but face even and unamused as she tried not to ogle his physique.

Her mouth formed a tight line and her nostrils flared a bit as Bishop dropped his pants and walked past her towards the water with his dick out like it was nothing. “What? Does the sight of me _stir something_ in you, Sweetness?” He purred, obviously trying to get a rise out of her.

“ ** _Bishop!_** ” Casavir yelped, scrambling to cover Eroeh’s eyes. “Nothing I haven’t seen already, ranger,” She answered flatly with an exasperated sigh and a smile, softly batting the paladin’s hand from her face and making her way out of their bathing area.

Heading around towards the other section, Eroeh carefully lifted the latch on the small gate and made her way towards her companion.

Rona sunk deeply into the water and was burning absolutely crimson at the sound of both Casavir’s and Bishop’s voices echoing throughout the room. _What the fuck are they doing here!?_ She thought exasperated to herself.

“Hey, I’m back,” Eroeh said with a mischievous smile as she rounded the corner towards the bath. “Forgot a couple of things.” Rona could see the devilish little glint in her eyes, and knew she’d planned this.

“ _A couple of things indeed_ ,” the water bubbled furiously around her, “ _Two meathead idiots!_ ” She noticed the water starting to steam and took a deep breath, trying to calm down and keep her magic from losing control again. The water stopped bubbling and steaming, and she snapped in a hushed voice, “Why’d you bring _them_ here!?”

“Oh c’mon, Rona. They were filthy, and if I hadn’t gone to get them, they’d have been locked out of the campus. Either way, there’s a **_wall_** between us, and they don’t know where all the little loose rocks and hidey holes are,” she purred, her smile drawing into her cheek with a mischievous dimple. “ _You know you wanna look~_ ” she giggled.

“Shit! Why can’t magic always be like this?” They heard Bishop’s voice echo over the rocky divider.

“Because magic isn’t just for your personal enjoyment Bishop,” Casavir replied nonchalantly.

“Always the wet towel, aren’t you Cas?” They heard Casavir’s exasperated sigh and Bishop continued, “You know, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to climb up those rocks.”

“If you think for one second that I’ll let you get away with that Bishop-”

“I’m just kidding! Calm your tits, Rusty. Still you have to admit, it would be kinda nice to sneak a peek, wouldn’t it? Think Pinky’s over there too?” He snickered loudly, but there was only silence from Casavir. Rona could already envision him burning as red as she was.

It only got worse when Bishop shouted, “Hey Pinky! You over there!? I know you can hear me! Looks like we’re outside, but damn if this place doesn’t echo like the inside of a Dwemer ruin!”

“ _Bishop!_ ” Casavir snarled warningly. They heard some splashing and then the sound of wet feet slapping on the stone.

“Hey Ladyship, I got a choice between,” he laughed, “the fuck is with these names? Jaunty Juniper and Perky Pine! What do you think?”

“Perky Pine would work best for you!” Eroeh called over the barrier. “You already smell like trees most of the time!” she laughed. “It’s manly enough, I think!”

“Perky Pine it is! Here Cas, you can have the Jaunty shit. Fitting, since you’re so _lively_ all the time,” he said sarcastically. Then they heard the sound of a light thump, a little splash and Casavir groaning, “Did you really have to **_throw_** it at me?”

Bishop was chuckling as he splashed back into the water and shouted, “I never miss my mark!”

“There should be something like _‘Sultry Sandalwood’_ in the back of the shelf. Try that one if the Juniper doesn’t suit you, Cas!” Eroeh called out, wading towards a section of the wall and feeling around with her fingertips. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as a small piece of brick came loose, and she ducked down with her palms flat on the wall to take a look. _‘Come Here’_ she mouthed at Rona, pulling her pinkened face away from the hole. _‘You’ve got to come see this!’_ She was biting at her lower lip and stifling a giggle as she waved at the little Altmer. Putting her eye back to the hole momentarily, she gasped a bit before letting out a naughty chuckle. “ _Oooh, that’s a nice booty~_ ” she said quietly, grinning like a dope.

Rona’s curiosity piqued and she quickly rinsed the soap from her hair and waded through the pool to stand beside Eroeh, who pointed her to the nook in the rock-face. She knelt down a bit to peer inside, and was sure she could feel the water steaming right off her body as Casavir’s rear end was in full view from her position. 

She could not peel her eyes away as she watched him rinsing his incredibly hard body, every muscle rippling perfectly with each movement he made. He held a bar of soap in hand and took a quick sniff of it, then must have decided he would try another because he turned right around and headed straight toward the wall.

To say he was hung like a horse was probably an understatement, and he wasn’t even remotely hard. The length of it made her think she’d be split in half, but the thickness alone made her wonder if it would ever fit. Then she practically snorted at herself. Why in the world was she imagining this happening at all!? _Her and Casavir?_ Her and Casavir… She stared hard at his manhood and the idea of him taking her wildly with it would not leave her mind.

“Quit hoggin the peephole, I wanna see!” Eroeh whispered with a giggle. As Rona moved out of the way, she took another look, only to get an eyeful of the paladin in all his flaccid glory. “Mara’s mercy…” she gawped, her face turning a red that was close to rivaling her companions. “Now **_that’s_** a dick.” she whispered, totally awestruck.

“You hear that Cas?” Both of their necks snapped straight up to where Bishop was casually leaning against the top of the rock wall, staring down at them. “The girls are thoroughly impressed with that _tree trunk_ you call a dick hanging between your legs. Tsk tsk tsk. And you told _us_ no peeping. Shame on you, ladies,” he chided playfully.

Eroeh burned bright red, but tried her best to play it cool, “Well you can’t blame a girl for trying!” she chuckled, not even trying to cover herself as she put one hand on her hip and rubbed the back of her neck with the other. “To be fair though, I was more interested in seeing **_your_** ass, but you make due with what you can, right?” she laughed.

Bishop snorted a laugh at Rona as she quickly covered her top half, sinking deeply into the water and making it bubble out of sheer embarrassment this time. The ranger continued to leer at them, although his staring thankfully seemed to be reserved for Eroeh carelessly exposed body as he bit his lip a little.

“Bishop!” Casavir snarled from the other side of the wall, but before he could make a move on the ranger, Bishop shouted back, “Just take a look in the wall there Cas before you lose your shit on _me_. **_They_ **were peeping first!”

Rona caught a view of Casavir through the hole in the wall as he knelt down and their eyes met for a moment, then she watched as he literally shifted away from the hole in the wall and muttered, “ _By the gods…_ ”

“Just spoil **_all_** of our fun tonight, why dontcha?” Eroeh rolled her eyes, pulling her hair up into a high tail and wading back towards the soaps without a care in the world.

“Where you goin’ Sweetness? Bring that tight ass back over here!” Bishop teased playfully, “Hey whaddya say you and I trade places, Pinky? Then you and Tree-Trunk can blush up a storm together and the lovely Ladyship and I can have some **_real fun_**.” He smirked down at her and she glared right back up at him.

“You’re dead ranger,” she growled as her skin turned redder than ever and the water started steaming.

“Careful Princess, wouldn’t want you to evaporate all your cover there,” he chuckled at her.

“ ** _Ha!_** Bring it big boy, if you think you’re _brave_ enough!” Eroeh cackled, rummaging through the shelves for her favorite scent, Luscious Lavender. Smelling the soap with a smile she waded back through the water, nonchalantly scrubbing her exposed neck and shoulders, determined to enjoy her bath regardless of the ranger’s intrusion.

“ _You little minx!_ You think I _wouldn’t_?” Bishop snorted as he actually started to climb right over the wall, giving both women full view of _everything_ as it swung and swayed around. Rona shrieked and leapt up out of the water, making a mad dash for the doors, completely forgetting her clothes or even a towel, when she slammed right into a nearly naked Darren. She abruptly fell backward, hitting her ass on the hard floor and gaped up at the astonished mage.

“ _Oh_ ,” a wry smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, “well if it isn’t the lovely rose. Personally I wasn’t looking forward to seeing you again so soon, but under these circumstances it is _most_ welcome.” His leering eyes traveled all over her naked form and he gave her the most disgustingly lewd expression.

She was almost certain she would die of embarrassment at that point. Her skin was so red she looked badly sunburned and her feeble attempts to cover herself did nothing to help the situation at all.

“Well _shit_. There goes the rest of our evening…” Eroeh groaned, dipping into the water to rinse herself with a frown. Looking up she could see the fury boiling in Bishops eyes, and could only imagine that Casavir looked much the same. “Guys… _please…_ ” she whined, seeing Bishop slide angrily down the wall back towards his side of the divider. “ ** _Please?!_** ” she begged with a sigh, knowing the situation was about to get nasty.

She could hear the ranger land with a splash in the water beyond the barrier, and the thick sloshing of not just one, but BOTH of their companions making their way towards the mageling and Rona. “ _Fuuuuuuck_ ,” she groaned, treading water as quickly as she could to try and head them off.

“Bishop! Cas! C'mon, he isn't _worth_ it!” she called out, trying to be the voice of reason. “Darren if you know what's good for you, don't _fucking touch_ her!” she yelled over at the douchebag of a mage, just as he was reaching to pull Rona up from the floor.

He of course ignored her warning, and pulled Rona up by the hand, drawing the bright red, naked Altmer against him. “Well my dear sweet rose, what brings you here at such a late hour, anyhow?” he asked with a smug chuckle. “Did you perhaps know **_I'd_** be here? I understand if you just felt compelled to see me again, _many do_.” he chuckled haughtily, his blue eyes locked on hers.

Rona was still trying desperately to cover herself while in the arms of the mage. He had a surprisingly tight grip on her back and rear, and wouldn’t let go. She was almost surprised that her burning skin didn’t melt the little ice mage up.

“ ** _UNHAND HER THIS INSTANT YOU SCOUNDREL!_** ” Casavir bellowed, the bassy baritone of his voice echoing off the chamber’s stone walls. In his determination he forgot his nakedness, and set Rona to blushing so hard at the sight of his flopping, girthy manhood that she looked like she could glow in the dark. “Yeah fucknuts, the lady’s _obviously **not** interested_, so fuck off somewhere else!” Bishop added in, also very much swinging freely as he stomped over.

Rona was feeling faint, the whole situation was becoming much too much for her at that point.

“Guys! For fuck’s sake, you’re still **_naked!_** ” Eroeh squeaked, trying desperately to reign the pair of raging Alpha males in. “ ** _So?_** What, you think I can’t fight without armor? _Tch_. I can take this scrawny little shit naked with my hands tied!” Bishop laughed, eyeing Darren predatorily.

“ _Guys_ , Rona’s head is gonna explode if you don’t put your fucking dicks up!” she yelped awkwardly, fighting the urge to laugh at her poor unfortunate comrade surrounded by _-mostly-_ or completely nude men.

“Such _abhorrent_ language, dear Eroeh! What would your _parents_ think?” Darren said with a haughty smirk, shaking his head condescendingly at the furiously aghast elf. Bishop couldn’t contain himself at that point and leapt at the skinny mage, decking him square in the nose and almost instantaneously blacking both of his eyes as he sent him flying to the floor with a wet thud of skin on stone.

Casavir leapt in then, one to pull the quickly melting down Altmer away from the little bastard of a Breton, and two to pull the ranger off before he ended up killing the poor sod. Eroeh took ahold of Rona and backed them away from the shitshow- eager to watch it go down, not so much to take part. Rona was covering her eyes, partly because she didn’t want to see them massacre the guy, but mostly because of all the dick.

Darren then said several things that he would instantly regret, gurgling through cracked teeth about how ‘ _Those perky little mutts_ ’ weren’t worth the trouble, and the words Master Thoraminh and piss-skin crossed his lips in a sentence that couldn’t be easily deciphered. Both men calmly stepped out of the way then- allowing Eroeh to walk up, straddle him, grab him by a fistful of his yellow hair, and break his nose almost completely sideways with breakneck speed.

“Nice one Eroeh,” Bishop said, grinning approvingly at the little Bosmer. “Thanks,” she huffed with a wry smile, rubbing her knuckles as she cast minor healing into it.

Casavir stepped forward then, furiously taking the tiny Breton easily by the throat with his huge hand and lifting him onto his feet. He then drew the terrified mageling close, and bent down so they were face to face, and in that deep, menacing baritone of his, growled, “If I **_ever_** hear you speak that way about these ladies or Arch-Mage Thoraminh like that again, I _will not hesitate_ to wring your **_fucking_** neck.”

Darren’s eyes looked as if they were fit to bulge out of his head in fear, despite how black and bruised they were. Casavir then proceeded to lift Darren right off his feet, by his neck, stormed by Rona, giving her another full view of his swinging club as he proceeded to hurl Darren a considerable distance right into the water. He went in with a loud splash and Casavir smacked his hands together, satisfied to be rid of the trash.

As he turned around and started to calm down he became painfully aware of his nakedness, as well as Rona’s, as she was hiding behind a small shrub and still covering her eyes.

“Ah! My lady! I’m so sorry!” He glanced around and grabbed a pair of fluffy towels from one of the nearby cabinets and quickly covered himself. He averted his gaze as he approached her and held the towel out, “Here, my lady.”

She grabbed the towel and quickly covered up, still feeling rather mortified by the entire situation.

“ _Well_. Now that all of that’s handled… I’m gonna go finish my bath. I’m not about to let that little shitstain ruin my evening. This beautiful bath house deserves better than that,” Eroeh sighed, coyly ghosting her fingertips over Bishop’s chest as she made her way back to the women’s side, just overall done with the situation. “You comin, Red?” she asked back at the furiously blushing Altmer as she slowly sank into the water.

“Um… I think I’m good,” Rona practically squeaked out, “I’ll see you back at the dorms…”

She grabbed her clothes and hurried out of there. Casavir sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked after her. Bishop raised a brow and said, “You just gonna let her get away this time?”

Casavir met Bishop’s gaze for a moment and then said, “I think I’m finished bathing as well. Excuse me.” He grabbed his clean clothes, quickly pulling them on and followed after Rona.

“Oh well, more hot water for us, right? Or are you bailing on me too?” Eroeh asked with a sigh, grabbing her soap from where she’d left it. “Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t miss this for _anything~_ ” the ranger purred, cutting his eyes seductively as he followed her into the water. 

Eroeh stood dumbfounded at the ranger’s stunning physique. Now that they were alone, she could appreciate his hard-earned muscles with sparkling clarity. Bishop was smiling wickedly as he entered the water, his perfectly sculpted abs and legs complimenting the toned muscles of his chest as his arms swayed beside him. Looking down, Bishop even had that toned, V-shaped muscle on his hips that made Eroeh’s vision swim with lusty daydreams of things she’d like him to do to her.

“Forgetting something?” the little Bosmer asked with a giggle, pointing at the bar in her hand. “Fuck the soap, Eroeh. I’ll just use yours. Wouldn’t mind having a bit more of your scent on me anyhow,” he chuckled, biting his lower lip as he stalked across the water towards her, closing the distance between them.

Eroeh’s cheeks pinkened at his words, and with a nervous laugh she set to actually bathing to take her mind off of the awful things she wanted to do with the ranger. She turned away from him then, trying and failing to conceal the lewd expression creeping across her face.

Bishop made his way over to her, placing his large, rough hands on her shoulders and started to slowly rub his thumbs in circles with careful pressure, easing some of the tension she wasn’t aware she’d been holding there. She let out a small moan at the sensation, her eyes still closed tight and lower lip pinched between her teeth. “ _Let me help you unwind, Sweetness,_ ” he purred in her ear, causing her to shudder at the sensation of his breath on her neck.

Eroeh just let it happen, not caring one bit that they were both naked, or that what she felt rubbing against her lower back was more than likely his growing erection. Every now and then she would let out a satisfied sigh or breathy moan, leaning her head one direction or the other, exposing her slender throat to this almost perfect stranger. She didn't care, it felt too good to care. She had never felt anyone work their hands quite as deftly as he did, as if his fingers were a part of her muscles, putting just enough pressure in all the right places as he worked his magic gracefully across her back.

Getting a closer look at her lightly freckled sun-kissed skin as he rubbed her down, Bishop eyed a previously unnoticed tattoo at the base of her neck in the shape of a Thieves Guild Shadowmark. As he finished rubbing her shoulders, he lightly ran his knuckles across the back of her ribcage and lower back, as if to brush the last traces of the tension away. Eroeh shuddered, moaning involuntarily as his hands ran up her sides to cup her supple breasts. She then snapped back to the reality of her situation at the feeling of his hands on her chest.

“Bishop I- _mmh_ … _I can’t…_ ” Eroeh whined as he lightly pinched her nipples, fighting between carnal desires and her long-standing morals. She hardly knew the man for gods’ sake, but something about the mouthy lout felt so comfortable, so familiar… so… _right_.

Bishop abruptly turned her around and closed the distance between them, reaching out to place one hand along the flat plane of her toned hip, and the other along her throat with a greedy fistful of her ponytail wound around his fingers.

He continued running his hands down her body as he leaned into her further, pressing his surprisingly soft lips to the tender flesh below her ear. “Can’t? Or won’t?” he asked, the soft rumble of his husky voice making things low in her abdomen tighten. Without warning, Bishop lifted her off her feet, making her gasp as her legs wrapped around his waist.

  
Once again starting their hungry dance, Bishop nibbled along the exposed edge of her neck, stopping to lightly suck on the warm juncture of her throat and shoulder. Eroeh whined in anticipation, her breath hitching in her throat while her wandering hands found clumsy purchase on the rippling muscles of his back and woven within his short honey brown hair.

Massaging her lips with his own, Bishop’s tongue skimmed her lower lip, begging for entrance. As Eroeh parted hers in approval, their tongues danced feverishly with one another; the sweet, cool taste of her mouth mixing with his earthy warmth.

As they groaned hungrily into each other's mouths, Eroeh's slender hands wandered through his wild tufts of hair, drawing a husky moan of approval from the ranger as his hips began to reflexively roll against hers. Gasping slightly into his mouth, Eroeh's body responded by arching against him, her hips rocking in harmony with his.

As the hand planted on her hip began to slide down towards the warm juncture of her legs, she leaned her face down, moaning his name softly in ear. 

_“Bishop…”_

A low growl of approval rose from the ranger’s chest before he gently bit at the now tender flesh of her neck, causing Eroeh to heatedly gasp in his ear, further spurring him on.

“ _Bishop please…_ We barely know each other.. And I… _I’ve never…_ ” she trailed off, whimpering as he nipped at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

“ _Never what_ , Sweetness? Felt like _this_ before?” he interrupted. “ _Mmh_ , then allow me to show you the pleasures a _real_ man can bring you…” he hummed, trailing his hands down the sides of her arms, running them down til he held her hands in his. He gently pulled her hands up over her head, placing them loosely behind his head as his hands ghosted down her sides and rested on her hips.

“Bishop, I…” Eroeh whimpered, tilting her face into his. “I’ve never _done_ this before… _with **anyone**_ **…** ” she finally explained with a heavy sigh, opening her eyes to gauge his reaction. “ _Oh_.” he said simply, his face plainly reading as unsure of what the fuck to do.

“Look, I’m not saying that I’m not willing… **_Gods_** know you’re testing my resistance… But we’ve only known each other for what, a _week_ now? _If that_? Just give me some time, okay?” Eroeh sighed, turning into his chest and wrapping her slender arms around his neck. “Don’t worry Sweetness, any good hunter knows what quarry is worth waiting for,” he chuckled, processing the new information.

_So I may well end up being her first… wow. Have I ever slept with a virgin before?_ Bishop wondered as he leaned into her, enjoying the scent of lavender in her hair as he kissed the crown of her head. _This is gonna be interesting…_

Eroeh tipped her head back and planted a soft kiss on the rangers lips, making sure her intentions were still clear. He returned the gesture in kind, and smiled as he carefully took the soap from her hand, lathering it in a clean rag before setting her down and helping her bathe.


	14. Like OMG! I Totally LIKE You!

**Setting** **: Back at the Dormitories, College of Winterhold**

Rona made it back to her shared room and closed the door over. She dropped the towel and pulled on her night dress, glad to finally be covered and away from prying eyes. She plopped down onto one of the beds and stared up at the ceiling trying to will herself to sleep but her mind was racing with thoughts about everything that had happened that evening, from her argument with Casavir, to the fiery explosion at the inn all the way onward to the insanity in the bath house.

She sighed and got up pulling her boots on realizing she’d never get to sleep with her thoughts swirling like that. She noticed Eroeh's beautiful lute sitting by and decided to borrow it, hoping her friend wouldn't mind. She stepped out of the room and walked by the boys' room, not bothering to look inside. She hurried up the spiraling staircase. Rona still wasn't entirely sure about the layout of the College and had no idea where she was going. When she did reach her destination, she stepped up into a very dark and quiet room. It was kind of creepy so she sent off a candle light spell, illuminating the room. She was pleased to find herself in what appeared to be an old observatory. It was entirely out of commission of course because of the never-ending snowstorm outside, so naturally there were dusty old cobwebs stuck in nearly every crevice and corner of the room. The huge glass domed ceiling was entirely covered over in beautiful white snow.

She found plenty of candles throughout the room and lit them all with her flames spell. She walked up a short flight of stairs towards another enormous and domed window that had a view of the ocean outside. She sat down on the edge of the large windowsill and looked out at the stormy weather.

Her thoughts and feelings felt like that. A blurry mess of snow. She needed to sing her feelings out to make any sense of them. She strummed the lute a few times, finding the melody and then she took a breath and sang,

[ **_Serenade_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0gC6sET090) ****

_“Something delicate, special like the love we know_

_My fragile heart beats at times secure and times alone_

_My first treasure took me years to find_

_It's what I cling to when confusion clouds my mind_

_When you come to me and you smile_

_Suddenly I feel as if everything's okay_

_Lost in your smile all at once I'm swept away_

_When trouble falls upon me like rain_

_When the world becomes what they call a lonely place_

_You carry me through_

_From dreary skies the sun breaks through_

_When you're feeling lost and don't know what to do_

_Just look and see me calling out to you_

_And when you're shaking from winter wind upon your face_

_I'll hurry towards you, I'll warm you up with an embrace"_

Casavir was heading up the stairs when he heard the sound of her lovely voice echoing down to him. He'd seen her pass by his room and wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't apologize for everything. For lashing out at her every time she did something he thought was improper because of... he sighed. He couldn't think of Luka. Rona was not Luka. Rona was someone beautiful and exceptional in her own right.

He poked his head up into the cluttered room lit by low candlelight and saw the little Altmer sitting on the edge of a windowsill playing her beautiful song and singing. Her words warmed his heart and made him feel... she made him feel so many things he'd been uncomfortable feeling for so long. Because he was afraid. If he felt them for her then maybe he would lose her too and he couldn't bear that thought.

He shook his head and adamantly reminded himself, _She's not Luka..._ He padded quietly across the wood paneled floor, not wanting to interrupt her sweet song or startle her. He simply stood by for a moment watching and listening as she sang with a wide smile on her face.

She seemed so at peace when she sang, especially compared to how she'd been the rest of the day, red in the face with anger or embarrassment. He blushed a bit himself realizing how similar they were in that regard.

He couldn't help but notice how charming she was, how different. She was sweet, kind, caring, shy at times, but others not. She had a fiery temper and was not afraid to stand up for herself even in the face of a towering Breton like him. He felt so drawn to her, but she was right. He was _terrified_ of falling for her. Of falling in love.

Casavir hadn't even realized her song had finished until he heard her quietly sniffling as she stared out at the stormy ocean. He watched as a tear traced her cheek and wondered if he'd been the cause of her tears.

"Lady Rona," he spoke softly, but his low voice still startled her.

She jumped a bit, looking back at him and breathed, "Oh, Casavir, I didn't know you were there."

"I didn't mean to frighten you."

She quickly wiped away her tears and said, "No it's fine. Um, was I too loud? My music isn't carrying all the way down the stairs is it?"

"No, not at all... I saw you leave your room and well I," he faltered trying to find the words, "I wanted to apologize to you for everything I said and did today. It was wrong of me. I treated you so poorly and said so many awful things to you. I want you to know that it has nothing to do with you." She appeared to be listening with rapt interest but said nothing in return, so he filled the empty air with more words, rambling, "Before I became a paladin I was... I did a lot of terrible things. I lost someone very close to me to a very unsavory man and," he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "I sometimes get lost in those old memories, and as strange as it sounds, confuse them with what's happening here in the present. So, I apologize for that. I'll understand if you can't find it in your heart to forgive me, Gods know I don't deserve it..."

She stood up, carefully setting the lute aside and approached him. "I appreciate your honesty," she smiled up at him and then blushed saying, "I'm sorry for everything too, for losing my temper and for," her face burned even redder then, "for peeping in the bath house."

He laughed and said, "It's fine, really. I've become a bit more prudish over the years since my time with the Knights of the Nine. I promise, I wasn't always like this. Back then," he smirked, "I probably would have scaled that wall with Bish at the first chance I had."

"Bish?"

He rolled his eyes at himself, "Bishop and I used to be friends. Good friends, like you and Eroeh. We had a falling out, though... it's a long story."

She could tell that whatever that story was, it was not up for discussion at the moment so instead she asked him, "Are you planning on staying here at the College?"

He raised his brows and thought for a moment, "Well yes, I suppose. Why do you ask? Are you not?"

Rona shrugged, "Once Eroeh finishes healing, we'll probably leave. I want to explore Skyrim some more. It's my homeland, but I never really got to see it for myself, since my ata swept me off to Cyrodiil when I was still little."

"Ah, I see..." he trailed off. She would leave? And what would he do? Stay there? He had come all the way to Skyrim just to visit the College, to train his Restoration up. But he'd just assumed she would be there too, after all her father was teaching there. It never occurred to him that she might actually leave any time soon...

"Do you maybe... want to come with us?" She asked as though she'd read his mind.

"Well, I came here to train in Restoration," he said almost automatically. He practically kicked himself, _why did I say that?_ Well it was true. He did need to train more. It was an order from his superiors.

She looked completely downtrodden at his response, and he wanted to rectify the situation immediately- to tell her _yes, of course I will travel with you!_ _I will follow you to ends of Nirn and fight alongside you!_ But she spoke up first, grasping his hands tightly in her much smaller ones, "I could teach you Restoration. It was the only school of magic I ever excelled in. I'm not a master, but I know just about every kind of restorative magic out there."

"I..." why was he still hesitating? His heart yearned to be with her, but his mind said absolutely not. His vows stood so firmly between the both of them, like an impenetrable wall, yet her pleading gaze seemed to be slowly tearing it down, brick by brick.

When he said nothing more, only stared back with his own indecisive gaze, she suggested with that soft sweetness to her voice, "Maybe I can give you another reason to join us?" Then she stood on tiptoe, grasping his shoulders and motioned for him to move closer to her. He leaned down, turning his head slightly as though she were going to whisper something to him, but instead she ran her fingers across his cheek, caressing over the light stubble that had grown back since his morning shave.

She curled her fingers through his hair, nudging his face back to face hers and she moved in so close. Her lips hovered just below his. Being inches away from her set his senses on fire. She smelled like rose petals and strawberries dipped in honey. He watched as her long lashes beat slowly over her sparkling green eyes and her soft breath tickled his lips.

He gave in then, wanting to taste her more than anything right in that moment. He grasped her around the waist and closed the space between them. He took her breath away with a passionate kiss as he pulled her right off her feet, holding her tightly to his chest. He hadn't felt so wanted in so long. The taste and touch of a woman, _her_ taste and touch, it was invigorating and intoxicating. They broke the kiss only briefly to take in air, before she suddenly went in for more and he reciprocated in full, completely forgetting whatever vows he'd taken, they didn't matter now, not when he had this beautiful woman in his arms. His desire for her grew stronger by the second.

Rona was overwhelmed with a rush of emotions as they kissed. She'd never been kissed like this before, not even by that damn lustful Dremora earlier that day. The way Casavir's tongue entwined with hers, and the forcefulness in which he crushed his mouth to hers, nibbling and biting on her lips before diving back in for more - it made her lightheaded, and her womanhood ached with need. This man truly wanted her like no other man had before. He didn't want to just use her for his own gain, he truly wanted _her_ , which became incredibly apparent as one of his hands started roaming over the fabric of her dress. It was even more obvious when she felt her leg press against his _very_ hardened manhood through his linens. This did not faze her and she did not object at all as his large hand groped over her breasts, grazing her budding nipples and then slowly moved down her back and over her rear. When she felt her dress move up, however, and his hand caressed her bare skin she pulled away from his mouth and gasped, "Casavir, wait..."

He stopped his roaming hand and as his chest rose and fell with his quickened breathing, he looked deep into her eyes. His face was red with desire and he was drunk with lust. She'd never expected this extremely reserved man to move so quickly, and she was definitely not ready for _that,_ and certainly not in that dusty old place, either.

"Rona," he whispered her name as he caught his breath and seemed to slowly regain his senses. She felt her feet touch the floor as he carefully let her down and released his grasp on her. He pressed a hand to his forehead and furrowed his brows, looking like he regretted everything all of a sudden. "I must apologize my lady-"

"No!" She snapped, startling him. Then she said more softly, grasping his hand, "Don't apologize anymore. I wanted it. I'm just not ready to... to lose my virginity, not here at least."

His eyes widened at her admission but she just smiled at him and shook her head, "Please Casavir, don't be like that. I... I would like to do that with you. Believe me, I _really_ want to. But we hardly know each other. So..." She knit her brows together and gave him that pleading look again, "I really hope you'll come with us. I would miss you a lot if you stayed here."

He swallowed hard, and his tongue felt thick in his mouth, "I will think it over my lady."

“Thank you,” she said.

He looked down at her, still feeling a bit dazed from losing himself like that as he asked, “For what?”

She grasped his shoulder tugging him back down to her height and this time she really did whisper in his ear, “For that perfect kiss.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then turned back, grabbing Eroeh’s lute and walked by him, smirking slightly at his muddled expression and said, “Good night Casavir.” He slowly turned, watching her go and mumbled, “Good night my lady…” as she headed down the stairs.

**Later That Evening**

An hour or so later the missing tiny terror and the ranger finally made their way back to the dorms. Bishop softly pinned Eroeh against the doorframe and gave her one last deep, breathless, kiss goodnight before parting towards his own room.

He would be respectful of her need for time of course, but not without any small amount of tempting on his part to sway her to act sooner. He was satisfied, finally certain that she actually wanted him as bad as he did her, and that she hadn’t been trying to string him along just for the fun of it.

Watching him walk away, Eroeh felt brave and chased him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle before letting go and quickly darting into her shared room. As she shut the door she flattened her back against it, sliding down into a squat as she put her fingers to her lips, relishing in the taste and feel of the rangers on them.

Rona rolled over from under the covers at the sound of the door shutting and rubbed her eye. She grinned through a yawn and said, “Well, well, look who finally showed up. You look like you had _fuuun_ ,” she drawled the last word teasingly.

“Don’t you start with me Rona, nothing happened. Nothing **_permanent_** at least…” she laughed, pointing an accusatory finger at the Altmer. “But I mean I finally found out how Bishop _feels_ about me now, so that was awesome,” she mused, still grinning like a dope over that final kiss.

Rona giggled at her and asked, “Yeah? So how’s he feel? Nice and _big?_ ” She snorted a laugh.

“I didn’t touch his dick, you dodo,” she snorted. “I did have to break the news about being a virgin and all that before we got too far ahead of ourselves though. But you know, once the shock wore off he seemed… well, pretty _okay_ with it,” she shrugged. “Surprised the hell out of me, that’s for sure. Anyways, what happened after you left the bath house? I know Cas went running after you pretty quickly, so I assume he talked to you already…” she asked carefully, gauging the Altmer’s reaction.

Rona started burning red and said, “Well… um… he apologized for being an ass and I also… kinda had to tell him I’m a virgin…”

“ _Ohhhhhhhhhhhh_?” Eroeh giggled mischievously. “ _Do tell_ , since you wanted to give me so much grief about Bishop. C’mon, spill it girl! _What happened?!_ ” Eroeh asked excitedly, hopping up from her spot against the door to sit on the edge of her companion’s bed.

Rona buried her face in her hands before she finally pulled back and sighed, a wide smile on her face. “I borrowed your lute. Couldn’t sleep, so I went up to one of the old observatories in this tower and just started playing for a bit. Casavir must have heard, or followed me up or something. He was the same as always, pathetically apologizing for everything, which was fine, I mean, he did basically ruin all our fun tonight. Well we got to talking and, well… more like he got to _rambling_ actually… and I asked him if he was going to come with us while we travel Skyrim. I basically invited him. At first he seemed unsure, saying he came here to learn Restoration, so I offered to teach him,” she sighed, “He _still_ wasn’t sure. So then I just… well I pulled him down and… I… he… we…” she buried her face back into her hands, so embarrassed talking out loud about it all.

“Aww jeez, you didn’t get **_cum_** on my lute ** _,_** did you?!” Eroeh panicked, nostrils flared and eyes wide as she looked over at her favorite instrument resting against the wall.

“NO!” Rona looked at her incredulously. She took a deep breath and just let loose the floodgates, talking very quickly, “We kissed! And oh my gods, Eroeh, he’s such a good kisser! And he lifted me right off my feet and we were still kissing and it was amazing and then I felt… it. _Him_. And I’ll tell you, I was seriously considering letting him just take me right then and there! But,” she slowed down cocking her head a little and scrunched her nose, “they really haven’t cleaned up there in a really long time.”

“Yeah the old observatories don’t see much traffic nowadays… _Well…_ Except for when students clean it up for a quiet place to **_fuck…_** ” She snickered, thinking about her own friends and their tales of debauchery on school grounds. “That’s good though, I’m glad you two had fun. Also, I have to say I thought Bishop’s stubble would be like, uncomfortably scratchy, but it’s **_so_** **_soft…_** ” she groaned. “Ugh and those _LIPS_ ,” she rambled on, flopping backwards across Rona’s mattress. “Save me, Rona. I fell for the hobo!” She whined with a giggle. “ _Fuuuuuck…_ ” She sighed, throwing her arms over her head and covering her face with her wild curls. 

“And I fell for the man who took vows of chastity,” Rona scoffed.

“We’re doomed, aren’t we?” she asked, looking up at the ceiling with a blissfully resigned smile.

“Yes. Yes we are,” she agreed with a laugh.

**Meanwhile In The Boys Dorm**

Bishop wandered into the room, still thinking about Eroeh. He flopped back onto his mattress with a content sigh, throwing an arm over the top of Karnwyr and pat the sleepy wolf on his side with a smile.

Looking over at the other bed in the room, he could see Casavir sitting upright with his back against the stone wall, his arms and legs crossed in front of him deep in thought. “What’s wrong, Tin Man? Looks like you’re having an existential crisis over there…” Bishop chuckled, playfully tossing a small piece of crystal from the top of the bedside table at the paladin to break his concentration. When Casavir suddenly broke out of whatever thought he was stuck in, Bishop let out a surprised chuckle.

“Oi, you in there? Jeez, what’s got into you… Did something happen with short stack after you two took off?” he asked crassly, raising an eyebrow at the absent minded knight.

Casavir’s cheeks pinkend and he said, “No. Of course not. _Not that it would be any of your business…_ ” he mumbled the last.

“ _Ah…_. so something ** _did_** happen. Maybe I can guess, you were always shit at poker…especially when tits were involved,” Bishop chuckled, moving to sit on the side of his bed, and leaning forward with his forearms resting on his thighs. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Bishop. Absolutely nothing happened,” Casavir replied defiantly.

“You’re pursing your lips like you’re trying to hide em, Cas. What, did you kiss the _fair maiden_ and now you don’t know what to do about it?” he asked with a shit eating grin, smiling wider as the paladin’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “So I’m getting **_warmer…_** Thought so. What else did you do, Cas? If that was all, you’d have broke down and admitted it by now. Don’t tell me… You didn’t **_fuck_** _her_ , did you?” he asked carelessly, breaking into a fit of laughter as the poor bastard started changing colors on him.

Casavir stood up abruptly, fists clenched and shaking as he snarled, “Enough Bishop! I would never lay a hand on Lady Rona! How dare you accuse me of such crass behavior!”

“Pffft, _defensive_ much? Must be a big fat yes then,” Bishop laughed. “ _Or…_ aww jeez, don't tell me,” he snorted. “C’mon Cas, you got **_that_** _close_ and couldn’t even seal the deal? Fuckin’ figures,” he sighed, waving a hand dismissively in the paladin’s direction before flopping back onto his bed with his arms bent behind his head.

Casavir sat back down on the bed, completely deflated as Bishop guessed everything right. He could hardly lie about it. He already broke one of his vows, why was he continuing to break another? He turned his gaze down and said calmly, “She wouldn’t do that. Lady Rona is still… pure.”

“Pft, why am I not surprised? Apparently Eroeh’s still a maiden, herself. Granted I wasn’t almost **_inside_** _of her_ when she told me.” he chuckled, staring up at the ceiling. “She just wants a little more time to get to know each other before we go jumping into bed together. I can manage that, I think,” he sighed. “Makes me feel kinda special though, that she’d want me to be her first,” he grinned. “If I **_really_** think about it, I don’t believe I’ve ever had the pleasure of popping someones cherry, so it oughta be interesting for us both to say the least.”

Casavir scowled at him and scoffed, “A disgusting scoundrel and lech as always, aren’t you Bishop? I swear on my honor, if you so much as break that poor girl’s heart-”

“Hey at least I’m **_honest_** about it, unlike **_some_** people,” he huffed. “But you know something, Cas? I don’t think I’m gonna end up breaking her heart… I actually kinda like the little weirdo. There’s just something about her, ya know? It’s kinda refreshing,” he chuckled.

Casavir stared hard at Bishop then. The man was talking to him like they were still old friends, back at Lost Knife. He recalled all the times the two of them would meet down at the dirty bar after a long day, waiting for one of the erotic shows to start. The two of them would quietly crack jokes about Thorn and his so called ‘Whips’, grumble about the jobs they’d been assigned and ogle and flirt with the attractive female Thieves and Courtesans that came and went.

This was just like that. He could hardly believe that Bishop was sitting here talking to him like that right now as if he forgot everything that happened back then. As if he wasn’t the reason Jules was dead…

Bishop glanced over at him and noticed his staring and said, “What? I got something on my face?”

“How would you feel if I traveled with you all?” Casavir asked suddenly, “If I joined you on your journey?”

Bishop scoffed, “Uh what?”

“Rona asked me to travel with her. If she continues to journey with Eroeh, I’m sure, naturally, you would also remain with them.”

Bishop’s mouth twitched as he suddenly started remembering everything he hated about the paladin, but realizing he had no say in the matter he just rolled over, showing his back to Casavir and said, “Doesn’t fucking matter how I feel, does it? I’ll tolerate it, but you just make sure you stay the _fuck_ out of my way.”

Casavir laid back on his bed. It would definitely be difficult traveling with Bishop, but his desire to be with Rona was so much stronger than his dislike of the rogue. It seemed Bishop felt the same way about Eroeh considering he was willing to tolerate his presence. Casavir felt that he could try to do the same. He slowly drifted off, smiling slightly as he recalled the feeling her lips and her eagerness to taste his.


	15. What Happens In Windhelm...

** Setting ** **: Somewhere in between Winterhold and Windhelm**

Several days later, the foursome and their furry mascot left the frigid wastes of Winterhold proper after Eroeh’s arms were fully healed without so much as a scar to show. Rona was absolutely thrilled when Casavir said he would join them on their journey. 

As they left the College, she gave her father a big hug, promising to come visit again soon. Serlas made sure to pack plenty of bags of his homemade tea for them and the group said their goodbyes to him.

The girls settled on Windhelm as their next destination, especially after Eroeh mentioned that they could turn in the little white potion bottle they found to the city’s local alchemist. After a long five day trip through the frigid wastes of Skyrim’s north and around another one of the country’s many mountain passes, they arrived at the incredibly underwhelming and dilapidated city of Windhelm, stabling their horses before wandering in through the large wooden gateway.

The moment they stepped inside they were greeted with a taste of the locals’ ever famous racism as two Nord men openly harassed a Dunmer on the side of the road.

Rona pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head, hiding her ears and said, “Well that was pleasant…”

Bishop was cracking his knuckles as he glared at the two men making their way towards the inn, “Hey Cas, what do you say we start our day breaking a few noses?”

Before the paladin could answer, Eroeh called out “Oi shithead, you got a fuckin problem with elves?!” from behind them, rolling up her sleeves and making a beeline past her companions towards the mouthy louts.

“And what if we do? You gonna do something about it, _half-pint?_ ” One of them, a man with a patchy moustache and a poorly darned hat huffed with a shit-eating smirk. “ ** _Half-pint?_** Is that the best you can do, or are you really that fucking stupid?” Eroeh laughed, stomping across the snow-covered stones, closing the distance between them. 

Casavir gaped at Eroeh’s back while Rona pressed her lips together and snickered under her breath listening to her friend provoke the two racist idiots.

“Honestly, Rolff. Every single time I’ve had the displeasure of having to stop here, you’ve been up to the same bullshit. And you know, at first I thought _hey, maybe he’s just drunk and making an ass of himself._ But here you are, _at it **again**_. I have half a mind to beat your ass down to a slimy pulp and smear what’s left across the palace steps,” she growled, tiptoeing to get in the dirty, half-drunk Nords face. “I bet you wouldn’t stand ten seconds against Rolff, he’s the best brawler in Windhelm!” his shithead of a cohort laughed, whapping Rolff on the shoulder.

“Lady Eroeh, please, you really shouldn’t be-” Casavir pleaded but Bishop shouted over Casavir punching the air, “Fucking deck him Ladyship! Knock that shitstain’s teeth out!”

“ _Bet_.” Eroeh said flatly, eyes still unblinkingly locked on his.

“What?” Rolff questioned, not expecting the little elf to call him out.

“I said _BET_.” Eroeh responded, cutting her eyes. “Unless you’re too **_afraid_** to put your money where your mouth is,” she purred, looking much like a sabre cat eyeing her prey as she baited him. Nords were so easy. All she had to do was call their honor or pride into question, and she could get them to do most anything she wanted.

“How much?” He asked, trying to figure her out as he reached for his coin purse.

“A hundred septims. Since you’re so sure of yourself. I win, you leave the Dunmer alone. You win, you won’t hear another word from me about it. Deal?” Eroeh said matter of factly, motioning to shake on it. He stubbornly accepted her wager, setting his purse aside as he took her hand and they shook hands. “Deal.”

Bishop put his pinkies in his mouth and whistled sharply for her, Rona laughed and joined the ranger in cheering her on, throwing her hands up excitedly, “Fuck a bitch up Eroeh!” Casavir gaped at her sudden profanity and she blushed, but grabbed his hand and said, “Come on! Cheer for her!” Casavir furrowed his brows and she nudged him with her hip, “Loosen up a little Cas!”

He relented, cracking a smile and chuckled a little then shouted, “Good luck Lady Eroeh!” Rona smirked and shook her head a little at his pathetic attempt, but was glad he made the effort.

[ **_Hit Me Like A Man_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogDnZFbkBxY)

Stepping back to give the Nord a few paces between them, Eroeh tipped her head at a nearby guard, gaining their acknowledgement of the fight. “Go on, I’ll give you first swing,” Eroeh said with a cheeky grin, her smile friendly despite the predatory look in her eyes.

Frowning at the arrogant little elf Rolff went in swinging hard, readying his fist back in an attempt to catch her quickly. His attempt failed and Eroeh danced around him, spinning on her toes and evading him with a sweet smile. “Was that supposed to be for me?” She asked with a giggle, her hands clasped behind her as she grinned wide at the angry Nord. “Why you little-” he growled as he turned quickly in the snow and dove after her again.

With a quick duck from her, he swung high again angrier now that she was obviously toying with him. “Fight me you little knife-eared coward!” he roared, still trying and failing to catch her.

“C’mon Ladyship, quit playin’ with your food!” Bishop chided from the sidelines with a laugh.

“ _If I **must-**_ ” She groaned, rolling her eyes at the ranger as she caught Rolff by the arm and pulled it behind him, pinning him to the frozen stone ground with swift and graceful ease. “Say it…” Eroeh purred in his ear as she bent his arm behind him and pressed his face into the ice. “No!” He argued through grit teeth, the cold of the ground biting into the skin of his cheek.

“Just say the words Rolff, and this all stops~” she hummed sweetly as she gave his arm a sharp yank, pinching a nerve and leaving his arm numb and temporarily useless.

“ _Oopsie_.” she giggled, dropping the limp limb with a thud against the ground. “I wonder what this one will do…” she cooed, reaching playfully for Rolff’s other arm. As her fingertips ghosted the back of his hand, Rolff scrambled to get out from underneath her, wildly managing to whap her in the face and toss her off to the side with a surprised squeak. 

The three of them winced and groaned with her and Bishop grit his teeth, clenching his fists, ready to barrel in to her rescue, when Rona grabbed his arm and smirked at him, shaking her head. He stopped and turned back to look on at Eroeh as she quickly wiped at the blood running down her chin.

“So the old boy has some fight in him yet!” she laughed deviously, the high, musical sound of her voice filling the air.

Rolff scrambled to his feet and lifted the one arm he could in an attempt to defend himself from the little Bosmer stalking towards him. “What in the hell are you?” he asked, wide eyed. “ _Sugar, I’m your worst nightmare,_ ” she purred before licking her bleeding lip and quickly sweeping a leg under his and knocking him back down to the ground, this time on his back as she planted a heeled boot in the center of his chest. “ _Now be a good boy and say the words,_ ” she ordered with a smile, her voice sultry and threatening all at once. “I… _I yield_ … You win,” he conceded with a hard swallow and a defeated sigh.

“ _Goddamn…_ ” Bishop chuckled under his breath, his heartbeat racing as he watched her work. He bit his lower lip with a naughty grin, exposing a pearly canine as he thought of better places and times for her to use that dominating tone of voice and feral roughness. Hell, he partly considered picking a fight with her just to get her to plant that heeled boot on _his_ chest.

Rona was hopping up and down, cheering loudly while Casavir laughed awkwardly, actually impressed with the little Bosmer’s fighting prowess.

“Didn’t put up much of a fight,” she chuckled, walking back over to her companions. “Then again, they never really do,” Eroeh purred, licking the blood from her freshly busted lip. Lighting her fingers with minor healing, she ran her fingertips across the torn skin to mend where it’d split. “Well, now I have more money for drinks, and the Dunmer should sleep a little more peacefully at night. For now, at least. Chances are I’ll have to beat the lesson into him again soon enough,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Rona ran over to her, grinning wide, looping her arm with Eroeh’s and said, “You have to teach me how to fight like that sometime.”

“If you really want, I’d be more than happy to teach you a thing or two,” she smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “For now though, we should probably head on to the alchemist’s,” she sighed, guiding her party through the maze-like stone walls of Windhelm til they came to the town apothecary, ‘The White Phial’, named for the bottle they were supposedly bringing in to him.

** Setting ** **: The White Phial, Windhelm**

Eroeh scuffed her boots across the woven mat outside of the shop, opening the door and playfully knocking on it. “Nurelion? Quintus? Anybody home?” she asked, stepping in ahead of the others. “Just a moment, I’ll be right with you!” A young man called out from the upper floor, followed by heavy footsteps thumping above them.

The young Imperial came flying down the nearby stars, “Oh Miss Whitepaw, it’s been a while. Have you had any luck finding the Phial?” he asked, hazel eyes sparkling with eager anticipation. “About that, Quintus…” Eroeh groaned uncomfortably, looking behind her as the remainder of her party filed in out of the cold.

Rona shuffled through the pouch on her hip and pulled the cracked phial out setting it onto the countertop.

“Oh no… Please tell me this is some kind of joke,” the young alchemist whined, carefully picking up the phial and inspecting the large crack running down the glass. “Yeah… Sorry Quintus, it was like that when we found it,” Eroeh sighed, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously. “It was in Forsaken Cave just like Nurelion said, northwest of here near the base of Mount Anthor. Did you know that place was full of draugr? ‘Cause **_we_** sure didn’t…” she asked, leaning against the countertop and eyeing the Imperial warily.

“N-no, of course not!” He stuttered nervously, looking uneasily towards the upper floor before looking back to Eroeh. “You’d best come along then, Miss Whitepaw. Master Nurelion is upstairs resting... his health has taken another unfortunate turn since we last saw you…” Quintus sighed wearily, anxiously combing his fingers of his free hand through his unkempt, cinnamon colored hair. “Lead the way…” Eroeh sighed, waving an arm towards the stairs before following behind him. Looking back to her companions she tipped her head quietly, signaling for them to follow.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Bishop murmured, “Shouldn’t be that hard to fix.”

“It’s probably a rare and enchanted item. Not something easily repaired, Bishop,” Casavir chided him.

Rona glanced back at the two, scowling at them and shushed them both before continuing their short trek up the stairs.

“Master Nurelion… Miss Whitepaw has returned with the Phial,” Quintus called anxiously from the top of the stairs, crossing the room slowly with the cracked glass cradled carefully in his hands. “Oh she has, has she? Well come along boy, bring it here,” He coughed with a pained groan from his chair.

Quintus did as his master bid and gently placed the bottle in his outstretched hand. "This... it matches every description of the Phial that I've found in lore.” He almost smiled, before noticing the large crack. “But if it can't hold liquid, there's no way of knowing. How did you manage to damage it, then?” he scolded. “This is what I get for not retrieving it myself."

Rona and Casavir shared an anxious glance, although they had not damaged it when they discovered it. Eroeh spoke up for them, telling the truth.

“It was like that when we found it, Nurelion,” Eroeh snapped as she crossed the room towards them. “You asked me to find it and I did. I can’t help that it was busted to start with.”

"Figures…” he grumbled. “I doubt you have sufficient knowledge to harm the Phial even if you wanted to. Either way, this is the end of it,” he snapped sharply. “Now if you'll excuse me, I'm not quite in the mood to entertain guests. I trust you can show yourself out,” he griped, reaching under his chair and pulling out a nearly empty coin purse. “Here's for your trouble."

Eroeh looked in the bag, and saw that there was just a measly five septims inside. She almost said something, but was stopped by Quintus placing his hand on her shoulder. Giving her a knowing look, he walked her and her companions back towards the stairs. Once they were all back downstairs in the shop, he reached under the counter and pulled out a substantially larger sack of gold. "I want to thank you for your help. I know my master can be a bit short at times," he sighed, taking Eroeh’s hands in his. “If you could humor me once more Miss Whitepaw… I think I might have a way to fix the Phial,” he started to explain.

“You see, Master Nurelion has been obsessing over the Phial for some years now, and as such has compiled quite the collection of knowledge of it. With his never ending obsession, he has kept me privy to that knowledge. I don’t know if this will work for certain, but if you could retrieve a few things for me, to help realize my masters life’s work... I would be eternally grateful, as well as in your debt,” he finished, giving her a hopeful smile. “Alright, I’ll bite. What do you need?”

"I have some thoughts. There are three crucial elements- _some_ may be easier to find than others,” he started. “On the top of the Throat of the World is a patch of Unmelting Snow. Supposedly, no heat can touch it,” he explained. “Then we need the tusk of a mammoth, ground to a fine powder as only the _giants_ know how. The final step however, is going to be tricky. It requires the briar heart from a Forsworn of the Reach,” he groaned, waiting for her to say something along the lines of _‘fuck that noise’_ and walk away.

When it was apparent that she was unbothered by the request, he continued to speak. “If you can bring me these materials Miss Whitepaw, the Phial _may_ once again be made whole, and it may very well save my master’s life in the process…” he explained, his mind heavy as he raised his view from their hands to her eyes. “Do you think perhaps you could do that for me? I would go myself, but Master Nurelion’s condition worsens by the day, and I fear he may not be able to manage much longer without my assistance." Eroeh closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose, looking over at her companions for an answer.

Bishop of course was rolling his eyes as expected, standing with his arms crossed over his chest in a way that clearly read _‘and why the fuck **should** we?’._

Rona smiled, “Well, that would definitely give us a lot of reasons to visit quite a few places around Skyrim that I’ve never been before.”

“It sounds dangerous,” Casavir chimed in, “Giants are easy enough to take down, or even avoid if you know what you’re doing, but Forsworn are a whole other problem in themselves. They’re truly awful savages.”

Eroeh did her best to bite her tongue and keep a straight face, but still grit her teeth and clenched her hands into white-knuckled fists as Quintus held them.

“Buncha skirt-wearing freaks,” Bishop grumbled with his arms crossed, “I say fuck that. We don’t owe these people anything. We got him his bottle, cracked or not, it’s not our problem.”

Rona furrowed her brows at him, “Why are you always such a grumpy spoil-sport?”

“Well right now it’s because I haven’t had my daily dose of mead,” he replied tersely.

Rona rolled her entire head with along with her eyes and then looked at Eroeh and said, “I think we should do it. I’d love to go visit these places and find a little adventure. I really want to see the Throat of the World too! It’s the tallest mountain in Skyrim, right?”

“That may be a bit of a problem,” Casavir said, “The Throat of the World is beyond the reach of High Hrothgar, which is home to the Greybeards. As far as I understand it, they don’t allow passage to common travelers.”

“Maybe we could explain our situation to them,” Rona suggested, “Tell them we need the snow up there to save someone’s life.”

Casavir looked unsure but Bishop scoffed loudly, “Do you have any idea how high that mountain goes? They call it the Seven Thousand Steps for a reason. Not to mention everytime we go somewhere freezing I can hear your teeth chattering a mile away. Now you want to go up into well below freezing temperatures that’ll even make the balls on a Nord like me shrivel inside out? Oh and did you already forget about those damned fire-breathing lizards? Where do you think they like to live, Pinky?”

Rona just looked at him with half-lidded eyes. She was starting to need a bottle of mead herself just listening to him gripe.

Eroeh cut her eyes at the ranger, giving him a very unamused look. “You know Bishop, if anyone here would have reason to be afraid of dealing with those _‘fire breathing lizards’_ , it’d be me. But I'm **_not_**. You've seen firsthand that we can take those things down without too much problem, so long as nobody does anything **_stupid_**.” she quipped, giving him a knowing look. He just cut his eyes off to the side and huffed indignantly.

“We'll do it, Quintus. If all else just because you’ve **_severely_ **overpaid us for that busted glass,” Eroeh said with a heavy sigh. “Just understand that we might **_be_** a while... Casavir is right... I have **_no_** idea how the hell we're going to get up to the Throat Of The World… don’t get me wrong, that doesn't mean we aren't going to try. Just… try to keep your master alive for us in the meantime, I'd really hate for this all to end up wasted,” she sighed, patting the alchemist’s shoulder. Drawing her bearskin hood over her head, she motioned for the others to follow out of the shop, wanting to get to Candlehearth Inn for a much needed drink.

They stepped outside the shop and Bishop and Eroeh started heading down the path towards the inn. Rona grasped Casavir’s hand though, and he stopped to look back at her.

She smiled and said, “Why don’t we walk around town for a while and practice some Restoration together?”

Bishop looked over his shoulder and laughed, “Oh because you two didn’t use enough resist frost all the way down here?”

Rona narrowed her eyes at him and smirked, “Oh, you’d rather we join you two?”

He put two and two together real fast then and said, “You know what, you two have fun!” He looped his arm with Eroeh’s and added, “We’ll be doing the smart thing and staying nice and cozy at the inn.”

“That sounds amazing actually, and after all **_you_** still owe me a date!” Eroeh laughed, leaning into him and grinning like an idiot. He looked down at her, smiling mischievously. “That I do, Sweetness. Let’s go have ourselves some fun,” he purred, making the little elf giggle.

Casavir scowled at Bishop’s back, but Rona quickly wrapped her arms around his arm, pulling him closer to her, drawing his attention away from them. He started blushing at the sudden intimacy.

“Have fun you guys, try not to burn the Grey Quarter down!” Eroeh laughed as they parted ways, not bothering to look back in their direction. 

** Setting ** **: Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm**

Getting back to the inn, Eroeh kicked the frost from her boots and smiled as Bishop held the door for her. “And who says chivalry is dead?” she giggled, booping his nose and trotting through the door with the ranger and Karnwyr at her heels.

“Hello!” Eroeh chirped at the rather bitchy looking blonde innkeeper.

“Whaddya want, pipsqueak?” she asked rather tersely.

“How many rooms do you have available?” Eroeh asked, fishing out their earnings from Quintus. “Got two rooms available for now, with two single beds a piece,” she explained, eyeing the pair and their fuzzy companion. “That’s perfect, we’ll take them both. We have two more companions that are out sightseeing for the moment, so I figure it couldn’t hurt to get our sleeping accommodations settled since we’re here,” Eroeh explained, fishing out the necessary amount of gold.

“Fine, but no funny business! I don’t need you kids messing up my good linens!” the innkeeper grumbled over the counter, taking the money and passing her two bronze keys. “We’ll be good… _probably_ ,” Eroeh chuckled under her breath as she swiped the keys and led Bishop across down the hall.

Looking at the keys in her free hand, Eroeh hunted from door to door until she found the one whose carved markers matched the ones stamped into their keys. “Here we are!” she chirped excitedly, unlocking one door and passing Bishop the key to the other.

Stepping into what was to be hers and Rona’s room, Eroeh walked over to the bed directly across from the door, knowing that if anyone was messing with their door, she’d hear it. Tossing her pack onto the clean sheets, she popped the metal snap holding her bottle of Colovian Brandy loose, pulling the bottle from its special-made pouch on the side. “ _Hello beautiful,_ ” she hummed, nipping her lower lip between her teeth with a mischievous chuckle.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Bishop’s hands gripping her hips, his breath warm against her ear. “Looks like we’re all set. How about we get the real fun started?” he purred, pressing his nose into her hair and inhaling deeply. “ _Bishop…_ ” Eroeh stumbled, her eyes wide in surprise. “ _We’ve been over this…_ and you didn’t even **_close the door_** ,” she argued pitifully, her cheeks turning pink at his closeness. “So what, let them watch,” he chuckled, his hands wandering up the sides of her torso to cup her breasts. “Bishop!” Eroeh gasped looking towards the open door, thankful to see no one there. “Lighten up, I’m only teasing… _For now,_ ” he smiled, kissing the side of her neck.

Stepping away, he placed his hands in his pockets as he strode towards the bedroom door, a lupine grin curling into his cheek with a dimple. “Come along Sweetness, the night is young and we have drinking to do.”

Eroeh flared her nostrils and pursed her lips, angry that she’d let him get to her so easily. _Oh it is **SO** ON, Scruffy!_ she thought with a sly grin. Following the smarmy ranger with the stupid, smug face, she locked the door behind her, placing the key to the room securely in her shirt.

“ _So what do you think_ \- Brandy first, ale after?” she asked, skipping ahead of him and playfully pulling him up the stairs by one of the several belt-rings of his jacket. “ _Mmm..._ I like the way you think, Sweetness,” he chuckled, not even remotely bothered by her dragging him along.

The pair then made their way over to a table in a far corner, where their mutual paranoia could be sated. Eroeh flopped gracelessly into her seat, reaching up to her chest with her free hand and unfastening her bearskin cloak, as well as the line of ties that ran down her armors striped outer jacket. “Sweet freedom…” she sighed, enjoying the cool air seeping through her thin white undershirt. “Mmmh, you know I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that you don’t wear smallclothes, Ladyship.” he purred with a lupine grin that drew up into his cheek.

Looking down, Eroeh could see the thin white cotton was still sweat-soaked in places from her earlier fight with Rolff. The close-fitting fabric had become somewhat transparent in that state, and was clinging to her skin in places as the cold air of the inn brought her previously protected nipples to hardened peaks. “Oh well,” she shrugged, pulling the cork from the neck of the brandy bottle and drinking deeply.

Pulling her lips from the glass she let out a satisfied _aah_ , wiping her lip with the pad of her thumb and licking the brandy from it slowly, lazy gaze locked on Bishop’s eyes.

Bishop swallowed hard, snapping himself out of the daze she’d put him in just in time to take the bottle from her and down his own mouthful of smooth, sweet brandy. Inhaling sharply through his nose, he sucked his teeth and set the bottle back on the table between them. “So, you ever figure out what you want me to do to make up for the dragon debacle?” He asked, getting comfy in his seat. “No, not yet,” Eroeh sighed, drawing her legs up into her seat.

Hugging her knees, she rested her chin against them, eyeing the ranger warily. “I’m sure I’ll figure out something, though.” Bishop just shrugged and leaned in his chair, tipping it back onto two legs as he enjoyed the comfortable silence between them.

Eroeh listened peacefully as the inns Dunmer bard sang and played softly in the corner, but perked up at the sound of an unfamiliar male voice that began to sing loudly around the other side of the inns fabled hearth. “ _Who in the hell…?_ ” Eroeh wondered aloud, her face scrunched into a displeased sneer as the man continued to sing, or rather speak a strangely tuneless version of “The Age of Aggression”. When his song was over the pair could both hear the giggles and praise of several fawning females, and a few men reluctantly clapping.

“Don’t do it Eroeh, _I know that look-_ ” Bishop tried to argue, knowing full well that his tiny companion was wanting to check out and put an end to the intrusion on their otherwise peaceful night in. She cut her eyes and pursed her lips in response, thinking on it for a moment before shaking her head and lowering her feet to the floor.

“Nah, can’t ignore it,” she said flatly, swiping the bottle from the table, downing another mouthful and creeping up to the old brick hearth that the inn was known for. Sticking her face around the stone, Eroeh was met with a sight almost too funny not to laugh at. There in the center of a small gaggle of women stood an Imperial, somewhere in his mid to late twenties with a pitiful goatee and the single largest hat Eroeh had ever seen in her life. His clothes were a strange red and orange mix of stripes and diamonds, making her wonder for a moment if Cicero had been really all that strange to look at, because at the very least his jester’s motley matched.

Eroeh furrowed her brows and drew her lip into a confused crooked frown at the young man, wondering just what in the hell the other women were going on about so fondly when he noticed her.

Spotting the petite, snowy blonde half-elf with the sparkling malachite eyes, Alec perked up considerably, having grown tired of the local fare. “What’s this, do I have a new admirer?” He beamed as he walked in her direction, propping his lute up against the brick face. Realizing she’d been spotted, Eroeh’s eyes went wide and she made to bolt back to her table, but was caught by the wrist. “My my, aren’t you a lovely one. I was beginning to think there were nothing but Nords and Dunmer to be found here in the city. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting such a rare gem to be hidden amongst the rough,” he chuckled. “Would you be so kind as to grace a humble bard with your name, my dear? So that I may write a song about your beauty after we part,” he rambled on, trying to lay the charm on thick.

“ _Uhh…_ it’s Eroeh,” she reluctantly answered. “And there’s no need for all that- I’d **_really_** rather you didn’t,” she grimaced, trying to get away from the wannabe bard and his giant, poofy hat. “Oh please my dear, there isn’t a woman alive who would refuse a song written about them by Alec, the Prince of Song,” he chuckled, still holding onto her wrist.

_Maybe I can just chew it off and cut my losses..._ she thought, looking down at her trapped hand. _No, can’t do that. Dammit. Do I really **need** both of my hands?_ She groaned inwardly, seriously considering cutting off the _‘bards’_ hand instead. Before Eroeh could remove said offending hand, he drew her in close to him, hoping to try and sway her with his looks. Unfortunately for Alec, he was far from the rugged, road-worn hunter type that she preferred. “If you will not allow me to write a song for you, would you at least do me the honor of attending my concert tonight at the Palace of Kings?” he asked, eyes and grip unyielding. “Yeah sure, whatever. Now will you **_please_** let go of me?” Eroeh whined, gritting her teeth as she tried again to wriggle loose.

Bishop was finding this all very amusing from his place at the table, or at least he **_had been_** until the frilly tart had pulled **_his_** woman against himself. Seeing that she was clearly uninterested and considering emergency violence to make an escape, he stalked across the wooden floors towards the pair and the bards little entourage.

The Imperial let go before he could reach them luckily, so Bishop left his dagger in its sheath, but kept his hand resting on top of its pommel just in case. “Is this frilly little shit bothering you, Ladyship?” he asked coarsely, cutting his striking amber eyes at the sad excuse of a bard. “No, I’m alright,” she responded reluctantly, not wanting to make more of a scene than she already had.

“My dear lady, are you **_travelling_** with this savage?” Alec asked, appalled. “Yeah, actually- _I am_. Happily so. Is there something wrong with that?” she answered defensively, moving closer to Bishop. 

Alec slowly looked Bishop up and down with a look on his face like he was examining a bug he just stepped on that was stuck to his boot. But upon seeing Eroeh’s vicious scowl he softened his expression, putting on what was most undoubtedly a fake smile and simpered, “No of course not m’lady. However, there is limited seating at the theater. I can’t promise there will be enough room for... _him_.”

“That’s fine, we can share a seat,” Eroeh smirked, stroking Bishop’s arm with her unoccupied hand in an attempt to unnerve the bard. It worked, and Alec made a brief face like he’d just smelled something foul before correcting himself. “I’ll see what I can do to give you a _seperate_ seat, my dear. Until this evening, then,” he said curtly, giving a small bow before turning back to his fangirls and instrument. Rolling her eyes, Eroeh hooked her arm through the rangers, leading him back to their table. After he sat back down, she carelessly planted her ass in his lap, throwing an arm around the back of his neck before turning her brandy bottle up.

“We’re not seriously going to that little shit’s show, are we? Please tell me you were kidding,” Bishop groaned, taking the bottle and downing a mouthful of his own. “ _Oh we’re going,_ ” Eroeh snickered, cutting her eyes at him with an impish grin. “I just need to see if any of the merchants in town have some old tomatoes on hand. I feel like practicing my aim.”

Bishop let out a sharp bark of a laugh at her comment, wrapping an arm around the little troublemaker’s waist and drawing her against him with a satisfied smile. “When you promise mischief and mayhem, you really stick to it, don’t you?” he asked, placing his free hand on her cheek and drawing her face in closer to his own.

“I’m nothing if not a woman of my word, Bishop,” she giggled, leaning into him and pressing her mouth to his, the sweet, smokey smell of the brandy on her breath intoxicating him further as her lips molded against his in their heated dance.


	16. Did Someone Say #Murder?

**Setting: The Gray Quarter, Windhelm**

The moment Bishop and Eroeh were out of view Rona tugged on Casavir's arm, dragging him along with her northbound into the city. Casavir chuckled as she pulled on him and asked, "Where are we headed my lady?"

She paused and looked back him, shrugging a little and said, "I don't know, I've never been here before. I thought we could just wander around and see the sights."

"Unfortunately there is not much to see in Windhelm. It's a fairly decayed city and well..."

Casavir looked her over, his eyes resting on her pointed ears. He knew all too well the racism the Nords held for the elves, especially in Windhelm, and although she was in fact half a Nord herself, he had to admit she looked very elvish. The last thing he wanted was to see her harassed for her race, something which she had absolutely no control over and he wasn't sure he'd be able to restrain himself if anyone said anything foul to this sweet girl. He took a step forward, standing right in front of her, forcing her to crane her neck to look up at him. He placed his hands on her shoulders, causing a bright tinge of blush to pool in her cheeks.

He smiled. She really was too sweet. She was always so shy in certain moments, yet he knew just how mischievous she could really be. He reached around her back and drew her hood up over her head, making sure her ears were tucked under the soft white cloak. It was surprising how that little change made all the difference. She went from looking entirely elvish to very Nordic, like a trick of the eye.

"I'm afraid to say that the instance we saw between those Nords and the Dunmer at the front gates is not uncommon, my lady. Windhelm is sadly a haven of prejudice. We should keep your ears hidden to avoid any unsavory remarks from the locals."

"Oh," she said quietly as she fixed her hair, pulling it around her ears under her hood, "That's a shame. So you've been here before Casavir?"

"A few times, yes," he offered his arm to her again and she smiled looping hers with his. This time he guided her along, leading her down the steps as they passed by the city's cemetery and headed up towards a nicer looking housing district.

"What brought you here?" She asked.

He pressed his lips together thinking back to his time as a bandit. "Work," he said.

"Oh, your work as a paladin brought you all the way out here?"

"No, my lady. It was before my life as a paladin."

“Oh,” she whispered, knowing he wouldn’t want to discuss it. She tried to think of new, safer territory for their conversation when a biting cold whipped by making her shiver.

He smirked and said, “Perhaps we should practice our Restoration some more.” He raised his free hand and paused, concentrating as he whispered an incantation setting his fingers alight with magic. In seconds he cast a strong resist frost spell over the both of them.

“Thank you,” she said, “I’m still not very good with it. I’m glad you are though.”

“Our sessions on the way here helped significantly, my lady.”

“I’m glad,” she smiled to herself as they wound around through a small alley, passing by the city’s palace and headed down some steps into a much dirtier part of the city.

Rona looked around and frowned, “This is… a slum, isn’t it?”

“That it is. The Nords call it the Grey-Quarter because it’s where all of the Dunmer live.”

“Who leads this city? I mean, it’s not just down here that looks so awful, but the entire place needs so much renovating.”

“Jarl Ulfric is the man who runs this city-,” Rona then gasped loudly, interrupting him and stammered, “We met him!”

Casavir looked down at her, his eyes widening, “You did?”

“At Helgen! After the dragon attack! He’s the leader of the rebellion isn’t he? Wait…” things started to click into place as she pieced it all together, “So Jarl Ulfric… that’s why he won’t fix up the city? Because of the war?”

“Essentially, yes,” Casavir confirmed, “He is far too busy with the war and no doubt using his citizen’s taxes to fund his campaign.”

“He sounds horrible,” Rona said with a scowl.

** Setting ** **: New Gnisis Cornerclub, Windhelm**

“Damn right he is.” They both looked over at a Dunmer man who was standing outside a building sweeping the entryway. The battered old sign said New Gnisis Corner Club. The Dunmer looked right at Rona and chuckled, “Never thought I’d hear a _Nord_ of all people say somethin’ like that though.”

Casavir smirked at her and she grinned back, laughing a little before she said, “We’re not from around here.”

“Well that’s obvious,” the Dunmer said, “but I think I like you. How ‘bout you two come in for a drink?”

Rona shrugged, looking to her companion for his thoughts. He said, “I don’t mind if you’d like to have a drink my lady,” he looked up at the Dunmer and said, “But I can only have tea or water if you have it.”

“Sure, sure,” the Dunmer waved them in, “By the way, my name’s Malthyr,” he said and as they both stepped inside they were met with the disgruntled look of another Dunmer running the bar and Malthyr added with a laugh, “And that there’s my good friend and the owner of our little club, Ambarys.”

Ambarys looked none too pleased that his friend was being so amiable towards two very obvious humans especially when he said, “You two lost?”

Rona frowned and Malthyr said, “Come on now Ambarys, I just heard this young lady mention her disgust of old Jarl Bumfuck. You sure you want to kick them out?”

Ambarys’ expression softened and a smile perked at the corner of his mouth, “You serious? A Nord expressing their dislike of the Jarl? And in public too?”

Rona breathed a laugh and pulled her hood down. Both Dunmer noticed her pointed ears and gave her a stunned look. Ambarys raised a brow and said, “Wait. You’re... _Altmer?_ ”

“Shortest Altmer I ever seen,” Malthyr remarked.

Rona pursed her lips at him and said, “Half-Nord, half-Altmer.”

Ambarys snorted a laugh, “Gods. How did something like that happen?”

Rona approached the bar, with Casavir at her heels and they both took a seat. She started regaling the Dunmeri men with the silly story of how her father met her mother. Ambarys supplied the wine for her, while Casavir stuck with a glass of water as he listened to this hilarious tale once more, amused that she was so bold to tell it considering how embarrassed she was when her father initially shared it. Of course she did seem to find a new confidence with each drained glass of wine.

She seemed to really be enjoying herself chatting up the two Dunmer men. He liked that a lot about her. She was someone who could quickly and easily make friends with almost anyone, treating them like family the minute they met. As the afternoon waned, more and more people started to come into the bar, nearly all of them Dunmer, although Casavir did notice a few Altmer among them. The two of them received plenty of strange looks from the regulars, but considering how jovially Rona was going on with the bartender and his associate, the patrons’ worries were abated, and they went back to their own drinks and conversations. 

Casavir noticed that Rona was becoming more and more inebriated as the evening wore on and he started to worry that she might have had too much to drink, considering how red in the face she was.

She giggled madly with the two men going on about their encounter with Darren back in the College of Winterhold, “And then he!” She pointed a wobbling finger right into Casavir’s nose, “Wrapped his entire _FIST_ around his throat and just chucked him right into the pool like a sack of old potatoes!”

Casavir frowned and blushed a little, pushing her finger from his face, “Well… I wouldn’t put it quite like that…”

She looked up at him again, a huge grin sprawled across her face, still giggling. “ _Caaasss_ ,” she slurred, “How much can you lift? I have to know!”

Both men were chuckling at the two very red people in front of them. Casavir put a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat and said, “I’ve never really measured it.”

“Oh come on!” She said wrapping her hand around his armor covered bicep, “Damn it! If you didn’t have all this armor covering you -” she looked back at both men with red eyes, “You’d both be able to see! I swear! His muscles are the sizes of barrels!”

Both men snickered over their own drinks, and Ambarys set his down and said to Casavir, “You said you’re Breton? You’re a pretty big fellow for a Breton. Thought they never got taller than most Bosmer even.”

“Quite the odd couple,” Malthyr chuckled as he swirled his tankard of ale, “Short half Altmer and a huge Breton. Bet your kids are normal sized at least.”

Casavir’s face blossomed into the deepest shade of red, and Rona just cocked a brow laughing through her drunkenness, “Me and _Casavir?_ I’ll have you gentlemen _knooowww_ , this man here is a holy, _saintly_ Paladin! So absolutely no fucking for him!”

“My lady!” Casavir gasped at her brazen comment, looking absolutely mortified.

She giggled and looked back at him, then danced her fingers across his armored chest and said, “But if you ever wanted to _Casaviiirrr_ … I wouldn’t mind. You’d have to go slow though! I’ve seen your tree-trunk and I am pretty tiny,” she laughed more looking down at herself. The two Dunmer were the ones pink in the cheeks now, and Casavir abruptly stood up, grasping her by the arm and said, “I think it’s time we took our leave Lady Rona. You’ve had quite enough to drink.”

“ _Aw!_ ” She whined, “But we were just having fun! Right boys?” She giggled again, looking at both the Dunmer men who were stifling back their laughter at the awkwardness of her demeanor.

Ambarys took pity on the paladin, as he leaned on the counter and said, “I think your companion is right, Lady Rona. If you stay much longer I’m afraid that you’ll drink the place dry.”

“ _Pft_ ,” she scoffed, “Light weights!” She had no idea what she was saying at that point, but both men continued to laugh, amused by her drunken behavior. Rona however started to get a very queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach the moment she stood up. She threw a hand to her mouth and quickly said, “Cas, take care of our tab - I uh! _Urk_!”

Casavir looked after her as she ran out the door. She felt okay for a moment when she first stepped outside, thinking the feeling had passed. She quickly yanked her hood up over her head as the cold bit her ears. Feeling the telltale signs of vomit broiling in her stomach again, she ran off to the side of the buildings and found a private spot in a small alley to heave her guts out onto. 

She took a deep breath after she finished retching, feeling immensely better. She wiped her mouth and thought to herself, _no wonder Casavir sticks to tea and water, blech!_ She sensed the presence of her companion behind her, and feeling very ashamed of herself turned around to immediately apologize for her behavior when the person she saw looming over her was in fact, _not_ Casavir but a hooded figure holding a curved dagger. 

She yelped as he swung at her, throwing her arms out to defend herself and taking a sharp slash across both arms. He moved forward swinging again, and she leapt backwards this time, evading his attack. She was still feeling very dizzy from her inebriation, however, and as she kept moving back to avoid the attacker’s swinging knife she felt her feet tangle under herself and she tripped backward, falling hard on her ass. Her hood fell from her head and she let out an ear-piercing shriek as she threw her arms up to defend herself once more.

But instead of attacking her the hooded man hissed at her instead, “ _An_ _elf!?_ ” Then someone grabbed him by the collar and threw him hard against a wall. Casavir plowed his fist into the man’s head, thankfully sending him reeling back down the alley, far away from her.

Casavir looked back at Rona for a moment, worry etched all over his face when he saw the blood on her arms and shouted, “My lady! Are you alright!?”

“I-I’m fine,” she stammered, feeling extremely shaken. With the confirmation that she was okay, Casavir turned back toward the hooded man again, his stance and demeanor suddenly changed from one of a gentle knight to that of a vicious predator hunting its prey, like an enormous bear going on the prowl. The hooded man bolted out of there as Casavir roared furiously, drawing his sword and racing after him. Rona ran her glowing hands over her fresh wounds, closing them fairly easily and carefully pushed herself off the ground. Still feeling lightheaded and dizzy, however, she leaned against a wall and waited anxiously for Casavir to return. In moments he came back, looking absolutely livid. She’d never seen him so angry before. He had a look like he wanted to kill, and for a minute she was afraid that he was angry with her and might hurt her.

But as he approached her and saw her unease his face softened, and he said quietly, “He escaped. I wasn’t able to catch your attacker my lady. Please forgive me.”

“It’s alright,” she said choking back a sob. Her lip trembled and she realized just how close she was to death, all because she’d gotten too drunk to see straight. She felt like such a fool, especially for putting Casavir in that position. Her tears came steadily then, and then she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and cried, “I-I thought… I really thought he was going to kill me. Thank the gods you came…”

She felt his large hand caressing the back of her head as he tried to soothe her, “I would never let anyone lay a harmful hand on you, my lady. I’m sorry I wasn’t with you, I should have stayed by your side - escorted you.”

“I’m sorry for being such an idiot tonight,” she cried, “I’m sorry for putting you through all that!”

He sighed and pulled her closer, as close as he could with his armor on. He wanted to hold her close without it, to assuage her fears and worries by keeping her near in the safety of his arms. To do for her what he never could for… 

He took a breath, shaking off the old memories then said softly, “Let’s head back to the inn, Lady Rona. I think we could both do with some rest after tonight’s event.”

She sniffled and nodded her head, letting him lead her back to the inn.

** Setting ** **: Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm**

The entire way there Casavir kept a watchful eye out for any danger, while Rona leaned into him, letting him rest his arm over her shoulder. She felt much safer with him holding her so protectively against him. Once they were inside the inn he let her go and she looked around, searching for her other companions.

“Let us find Lady Eroeh and Bishop,” Casavir said, “I will leave you in their company, and then I’m going to speak with the city guard and report what happened.”

Rona nodded stiffly and they both went up the stairs into the low lit sitting room, searching for their two companions. They were immediately greeted by Karnwyr, who loped up to the both of them and whined a little, as if sensing how upset Rona was. She knelt down and scratched him behind the ears. 

Casavir spotted the Ranger and Bosmer sitting at a table flirting just as expected, but in that moment he didn’t really care. He was more concerned with getting Rona into their safe company before he set out to see that her attempted murder was properly investigated. And normally while he wouldn’t consider Bishop _‘safe’_ company per se, he knew the ranger would never intentionally harm either woman, in fact, he’d probably be just as furious over the situation.

Eroeh and Bishop were still engaged in feeding each other mouthfuls of brandy and heavy lip-locking when they heard the thuds of Casavir’s hurried, heavy steps coming up the stairs. Pulling away from each other, they looked over to see the furious expression etched into his face, and Rona’s torn, bloodstained sleeves as they came into sight. Seeing her friend was bloodied, Eroeh slid from the ranger’s lap without hesitation, running across the inn’s upper floor to meet them.

“Rona!” Eroeh gasped, worriedly placing a hand to the Altmer’s cheek as she looked her over. “What the hell happened?”

“We were leaving the Corner Club in the Grey Quarter and someone made an attempt on her life,” Casavir explained, fighting to keep his voice level in the crowded inn. “What?!” Eroeh shrieked, her pinkened cheeks paling at the thought before her previously bleary eyes narrowed to predatory slivers. “ _WHERE?_ ” she asked angrily, reaching for the crystalline daggers at her hips. “I tried to pursue them, but they escaped, my lady. I did not want to leave Lady Rona alone for too long, I could not risk there being others who might have wished to harm her,” he explained, his eyes on the floor and his jaw clenched.

Eroeh gently put a reassuring hand to his forearm and looked up at him, a satisfied smile on her face. “You did good, Cas. You got her back here in one piece.” With a sigh, she took Rona by the hand, leading her to the unoccupied seat at the table across from the ranger before grabbing her cloak from the back of her chair. “Sorry to cut our date short handsome, but mama’s got work to do,” she purred, stroking Bishop’s cheek and kissing his forehead.

“Keep her safe,” Eroeh said softly as she pulled their room key from within her blouse and passed it to Rona. 

Bishop, looking more serious than ever nodded in the affirmative and said, “I’ll keep an eye out. I won’t let any shady types near short-stuff here,” then he grabbed Eroeh by the arm yanking her close to him and looked right in her eyes, “I know I don’t have to worry about you, I know you can take care of yourself, but come back to me in one piece alright? We still have a date to finish.” Then he planted a firm parting kiss on her lips and let her go. 

“Bishop,” Casavir said. The ranger looked up at him, daring him to accost him for kissing his girl but the paladin only asked, “Try to sober up a little, will you? I’d prefer it if you have your wits about you. You’re more dangerous that way.” Casavir flashed him a smirk and Bishop returned it with his own devious smile. It was a moment shared between two men who’d once been comrades in arms. Bishop set his drink aside as Casavir and Eroeh made to leave.

“We’ll be back soon. Try to not kill Scruffy in the meantime please. We have a concert to attend later tonight and a would-be bard to heckle,” she joked, hugging the teary-eyed Altmer. 

“Please be careful Eroeh,” Rona choked on a sob, still very buzzed and red in the face as Karnwyr pressed his head in her lap, still trying to soothe her.

“Always am,” she smiled before turning back to the paladin. “Alright Cas, let’s get going.”

Rona focused on gently scratching and petting on Karnwyr while she tried to sober up and calm down. Bishop gave her a sidelong glance as he leaned his chair back onto two legs, keeping his arms crossed. Finally he cleared his throat and asked, "You doing alright over there?"

"I'm fine," she said brusquely.

“Like shit you are," he said, "I can see you shaking like a leaf from here."

She took a deep breath and tried to force her body to still itself.

"So what happened anyhow?" He asked, "You almost get mugged or something?"

Rona furrowed her brows, "No. He didn't demand anything. He just... _attacked_ me."

"Well that's fucked up," Bishop actually sounded angry.

"He stopped when he realized I was an elf, though," she said.

"Hmm, I wonder if one of the Dunmer are picking off Nords for the way they're treated," he said thoughtfully, "Bad idea though because that'll probably just piss the Nords off even more."

She mumbled, "What do _you_ care anyways?"

He furrowed his brow at her, "You seriously think I don't care?"

She looked at him, meeting his glare with her own, "You always act like you don't care. Only two things that seem to matter to you are bedding women and getting drunk half the time."

He frowned and said, "Well for your information I _do_ care what happens to you."

She scoffed skeptically and refocused her efforts on scratching that perfect spot on Karnwyr making his leg bat at the air.

"I do," he insisted, "Look. I know how I was before, trying to," he cleared his throat, " _bed_ the both of you, but honestly, at this point well... you're more like one of my annoying little sisters than anything."

Rona laughed and said, "Ugh, gross."

"Not like that!" He growled, "You're cute, but _pft_... I can't even imagine it now. Besides you're interested in Casavir, aren't you?" She started blushing at that remark and he chuckled and shook his head, "Can't even hide it. You're pathetic."

"Watch it ranger!" She snapped.

"Right, don't want you to explode again and set everything on fire." She pursed her lips and put on her most furious scowl and he just laughed and said, "See? You make it too easy. Just like one of my damn kid sisters."

She grumbled, but softened her demeanor and asked with genuine curiosity, "You had sisters?"

"Yeah, a whole buncha kid brothers and sisters. I'm one of nine you know."

"I never had any siblings. It was always just me and Ata."

"I would have preferred that to be honest. My siblings are all probably just a bunch of cutthroats, whores, bandits and murderers, at this point."

"Why do you say that?"

He sighed, leaning back in his chair and said, "I had a shitty childhood and shittier parents. It's why I'm like this, you know, standoffish or whatever you want to call it."

"Grumpy," she said.

"Yeah-"

"Grouchy, irritable, surly, bad-tempered, foul-mouthed, rude, obnoxious," she went on and he scowled at her and barked, "ALRIGHT! I get it! I'm in a shit mood all the time," he chuckled, "Lay it on thick for me why dontcha?"

They paused for a minute, just staring at each other and then both started laughing like idiots. Rona wiped at a tear in her eye and said, "Oh my gods... you really are like a stupid older brother."

"Oh fuck you!" He snorted a laugh.

Rona leaned on the table, grabbing at the stitch in her side from laughing too hard. And finally they both slowed and took a breath and Bishop asked, "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," she said smiling at him, "Thanks."

He nodded, "I do what I can. I hate to see a damsel in distress, even if she is a mischievous little brat."

"Pft, have you met _Eroeh_?"

He smirked and shook his head, "True enough," then he paused a moment, thinking and said, "Hey."

"Hm?"

He pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket and said, "Ever played poker before?"

She shook her head and he grinned broadly and said, "Let's head downstairs and play a few games, I'll teach ya."

She shrugged and said, "Alright."

The two of them and Karnwyr got up and headed down into the boys' shared room and they sat down on the floor cross legged. Bishop started dealing out cards and explaining the game to her. They played a few rounds, with Rona losing badly each time, until she got the hang of it.

They were on their third game when she started to ask, " _Sooo_..."

Bishop smirked and looked up from his hand, "Yes Princess?"

She started blushing, darting her eyes from his, "About _Casavir_..."

He chuckled, "Heh, I knew you'd be coming to me with those questions sooner or later."

"What's his problem?"

"You mean, why's he got a huge stick up his ass?"

"Yes!” She exclaimed exasperated.

Bishop laughed again and then sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Long story..."

She looked around and shrugged her hands, "We've got time."

"Alright _fine_ ," he grumbled, "But I'm not getting into the nitty gritty details of it."

She settled in, putting her cards aside and pressed her elbows to her knees and rest her head in her hands, waiting expectantly with a small smile.

Bishop looked at her child-like interest and rolled his eyes, "This isn't some cute story. A lot of shit went down back then," she raised her brows and her smile faded. He sighed deeply and finally admitted, "We were bandits," he carried on quickly, before she could say anything about that fact, "We worked for a real bastard out in the Rift nearly a decade ago. It wasn't really by choice, by the way. It was either that or suffer some of the worst..." he trailed off and groaned thinking about it all, "So, we did what we had to, _to survive_. Cas and I both worked a lot of odd jobs for this group, thievery, collections, muscle, things like that. They also had a brothel in the hideout there. Cas used to work Muscle a lot for them," she gave him a confused look and he clarified, "You know, like a bouncer. Any men that got real rough and tumble with the ladies, he'd throw them out, face first right into the lake."

She nodded in understanding, but kept quiet, wanting him to finish his story.

"So yeah. Considering that he worked there a lot, he knew most of the working girls. He met one in particular, a Redguard named Luka. She was one of the highest paid courtesans there. She mostly stuck to performing and dancing, but she'd participate in the auctions from time to time. If someone bought her, _then_ she'd sleep with them."

Rona blinked, absorbing all of this information like a sponge.

Bishop cleared his throat and said, "Well, she and Casavir started to talk, _a lot_. Next thing I know, he says he's seeing her - which, believe me I laughed pretty hard at. Personally I was never the type to consider dating any of the working girls. I prefer to be the only man giving it to my lady if ya know what I mean," he said with a smirk. 

She just frowned and asked, "So what happened? How did that work out?"

"It didn't really work much at all. I don't know if you've noticed but the _saintly_ knight has some serious anger issues. Every time she'd perform at an auction and get bought by the highest bidder... _shit_... Cas would just lose his fucking mind. He'd spend the entire night pacing a godsdamned hole in my floor, just _waiting_. Then he'd finally pass out at the ass-crack of dawn for a few hours, then get up and go find her and they'd blow up and get into it. Fucking **_nightmare_** is what it was. I tried to tell the man, ' _you_ chose to see a courtesan, you know how it goes', but he didn't want to hear it. He was head over heels for her."

He took a breath and looked grimly at her, "Well... this went on for a while, the back and forth bullshit. Casavir was getting tired of it, and he didn't want her to have to do it anymore. But the guy we worked under... he was a sick fuck, I'll tell you that much. There was no way we'd ever escape unless someone took him down. So Casavir decided to take matters into his own hands," his brows furrowed harshly over his eyes and he growled, " _Big mistake_. He got the local guard in the Rift involved and started feeding them information. Next thing we know, the Empire stepped in and sent 'ye o' holy Knights of the Nine' to put a stop to Thorn."

"Thorn?"

He blanched, "Yeah... that was the guy who was running things," he sighed and shook his head, "It was bad. Thorn found out about it and took Luka. _He_... he did some fucked up shit to her right in front of Casavir. Tortured and murdered her. It was his way of getting revenge. Then the Paladins showed up. Cas and I would probably be dead now if it wasn't for them. I got out of there, got Karnwyr and never looked back. I didn't know what had happened to him until we met him back at Nightgate Inn. I was kind of surprised to see he'd actually joined the Paladins, though. So yeah. Now you know why the man's such a fucking wet-blanket."

Rona let her eyes fall to her lap and mulled over all this information before she whispered, "So he'll never..."

"Never what? Give you his tree-trunk like you want so bad?"

She fumed, grabbing her cards from the floor and threw them at him. He laughed, picking a few of them up, "Damn Pinkie! You had a good hand here!"

"You're disgusting!"

"Says the woman who was spying on him in the bath not too long ago."

She blushed fiery red but kept her scowl on and darted her eyes away. Finally Bishop said, "What if I help you?"

"What?" She glanced up at him.

"I start pushing Casavir in the right direction, you know, drop hints here and there and just sort of... _encourage_ him to stop being such a stick in the mud?"

"You would do that?"

He laughed as he started shuffling their cards back up, "Are you kidding? I'd love to see him break all his stupid vows in one night if I could, just to see the look on his face."

Rona paused to think for a moment, wondering if that was such a good idea, especially knowing what she knew about him now.

Bishop started dealing the cards back out and asked, "What? You getting cold feet?"

"It just seems... kind of wrong..."

"Pft," he scoffed, "Casavir taking those vows was wrong. He's an idiot. He can't deny his manhood anymore than I can, and he shouldn't. 'Sides, maybe if he gets some he'll open his eyes and realize that there's more to life than just trying to pointlessly prevent the past from happening again. The past's in the past. Just have to let it go."

"You care about him, don't you?"

He was the one blushing now, scowled harshly as if that would hide it, "What? _Pft_! No! I just like messing with the guy," he looked down at his hand and his frown got even harsher.

Rona giggled and asked pointedly, "Bad hand I take it?"

"Gods damn it," he grumbled but then he smirked wryly and said, “What do you say we raise the stakes a little?”


	17. Dressing Up With A Daedra

**Setting: Palace of the Kings, Windhelm**

Eroeh clipped her thick bear skin cloak around her shoulders and untied the red bandana from around her upper arm as they walked. Leaving her hood down for a moment she took the red cloth and wrapped it beneath her ponytail and over the tips of her ears, tying it with a small bow on top of her head before drawing her hood. “Can’t take any chances,” she muttered absentmindedly as they made their way towards the Palace of the Kings. 

“Did you get a look at the guy before he ran off? Did Rona?” she asked, cutting her eyes sideways at him as they walked. Casavir was a bit unnerved by her sudden change in demeanor at the inn. This was the first time he’d seen her so serious, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about the change, though he _was_ grateful for the help. “No, I only know that it was a man, and from how Rona explained it, he was not expecting her to be elvish. I believe she may have been incorrectly targeted, Lady Eroeh,” he sighed, his voice low and steady.

“Height? Build? _Anything?_ ” she asked, hoping for some kind of information. “Shorter than Bishop by perhaps half a foot, and average build. He kept his hood up, so I could not get a good look at his face, but his clothes were dark and of finer quality. I’m sorry I could not be of more help,” Casavir apologized, his eyes downcast.

“When you say his clothes were _dark…_ ” She asked, not wanting to just namedrop the Brotherhood outright. “Shades of navy and dark green. He did not strike me as a _professional_ , my lady,” he explained, eyeing her momentarily. “ _Of course,_ ” she stammered with a nervous smile. “Well, that’s definitely a relief. We’re lucky though, Cas. If it were an _assassin_ , they wouldn’t have been so sloppy,” Eroeh sighed, rubbing the back of her neck beneath her hood. “You say that as if you know from experience, my lady,” Casavir commented quietly, not sure what to make of her words. “Have you _ever_ dealt with the Brotherhood, Casavir? It’s not something you forget,” she explained. “In recent years they’ve been far more active here in Skyrim. And let me tell you- subpar, _would-be_ killers like the one tonight don’t make the cut with them. They take a lot of pride in their work, and are _very_ good at what they do,” she explained, inhaling sharply through her nose and sighing.

“Keep this between you and me?” she asked warily, eyeing the paladin. He thought for a moment, then nodded his head in agreeance. “I don’t work with them. Not anymore, at least. But I _do_ know the guy who’s training them, and he’d never let sloppy work like that out on contracts. Not so long as he’s still alive and kicking.”

“You… _worked with_ the Dark Brotherhood?” he stumbled over his words, trying to process the information. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m not proud of, Casavir,” she sighed. “You and Bishop aren’t the only ones with skeletons in their closet, ya know. If this **_was_** the Brotherhood though, I can assure you there’ll be hell to pay, mark my words,” she said coldly, her frosted malachite eyes locked on the massive doors ahead of them. “You can question me more about it later if you’d like. _For now_ though, we have a captain of the guard to speak with.”

Walking past the two guards and through the towering metal doors, they made their way across the wide stone throne room towards the Jarl’s throne. He wasn’t in it luckily, and Eroeh had been there enough in the past for mercenary work to know where to find his long-time steward. Cutting off to the right, she walked into the servant’s quarters, figuring if Jorleif wasn’t out in the main hall, he’d more than likely be back towards the kitchens.

“ _OY_ _JORLEIF, WHERE’RE YOU HIDING?_ ” Eroeh called out carelessly, the sound of her voice echoing off of the mostly bare walls. Within moments a smallish Nord in his mid-forties came running out from a nearby doorway, looking around anxiously to see who’d summoned him. “There you are. Where’s the Captain of the Guard? We need to have a little conversation.”

Jorleif just stared at her with half-lidded eyes and scoffed, “How many times have I told you Miss Whitepaw, to stop _shrieking_ for me like that? It’s so godsdamned unprofessional…” he trailed off, grumbling under his breath.

Casavir stepped forward and asked politely, “Please sir, if we could speak with the Captain of the Guard, it is of the utmost importance.”

“ _Yeah Jorleif_ , you guys have a shitty attempted killer on the loose. Tried to off one of our travelling companions just a half hour ago. _But by all means_ , do you still think I shouldn’t be shrieking for your attention?” Eroeh griped with an irritable roll of the eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her stance. “I mean, unless you’d rather Ulfric lose his precious _war funds_ because nobody feels safe enough to spend money in his city…” she trailed off, looking at the steward as he shifted uncomfortably.

“Right. Follow me then Miss Whitepaw,” the steward led them down into the guards barracks and next thing they knew he was the one roaring for their Guard Captain, “YRSARALD!”

Eroeh and Casavir exchanged a surprised look at the man’s sudden shouting, neither expecting such a commanding voice from him in the least. ‘ _Wow’_ , Eroeh mouthed at the paladin, who shrugged in return. Jorleif turned around then, eyeing the pair. “ _What?_ ” he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the little Bosmer. “Nothing at all Jor. Though I gotta say... ya _kinda_ turned me on a little there. I’ve never heard your big boy voice,” she laughed, wiggling her eyebrows at the older man. Caught off guard, his face pinkened at her boldness and he quickly turned away from them, trying to regain his bearings.

“What in Talos’ name are you yelling for now, Jorleif?” A deep, thickly accented voice called over from around a doorway. “What do you want, steward? I have rounds to make and soldiers to train,” the owner of said voice griped as he rounded the corner.

Eroeh couldn’t help but stare a little as the tall, red-haired Stormcloak Commander sauntered into the room, muscles rippling beneath his officer’s armor with every movement. “Commander,” Eroeh smiled, giving a small bow, one hand across her chest. “Oh, great. _You again_ ,” he huffed, recognizing the little elf. “What do you want now? You here to finally join the cause, or are you just wasting my time again?” he asked abruptly, eyeing her and the tall Breton at her side.

“You have a killer in your city,” she explained plainly. “They made an attempt on a travelling companion of ours just a short while ago- tried to ambush her outside the Cornerclub. She’s shaken, but luckily otherwise unharmed save for a couple of gashes. I’m here to request your permission to hunt them down, with _help_ from the city guards if need be, rather than their hindrance.” Eroeh kept her eyes locked on his as she spoke, the playful sparkle turned to a predatory fierceness. 

“Damn, another one?” He sighed and grabbed a sheet of parchment and a quill from a nearby desk, “Alright, what’s the victim’s name?”

“Rona Lightfoot,” Eroeh answered.

“Another Nord, eh? The Butcher has been targeting Nord women.”

“Well, she’s half-Nord, sir,” Casavir interjected.

The Commander raised his brows and asked, “What’s her other half then?”

“Altmer.”

Commander Thrice-Pierced narrowed his eyes and scoffed, “She’s still alive?”

“Yes, I managed to throw the attacker off of her before he could seriously harm her. However, from what she told me, he seemed surprised when he got a real good look at her. She said he muttered something about being an elf and stopped his assault.”

The Commander frowned and set the parchment aside, having only written her name on it. He shrugged and said, “No harm done then. The Butcher probably won’t bother her again.”

Casavir gaped at him, “Wha-what!?”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t _try **again**_ , Yrsarald. The citizens of Windhelm are still in danger, and I have a score to settle with them for attacking my friend. Do I have your consent to pursue or not?!” Eroeh growled, clenching her fists til her knuckles turned white at her sides.

“Absolutely not!” Jorleif yelled suddenly, “I won’t have any vigilantes running around our city!”

“I don’t believe I asked you, _Jorleif_ , but fine. _Have it your way_.” Eroeh huffed irritably. “Mark my words **_steward_** , this guy isn’t done. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if someone else turns up dead because you want to play politics. Remember this- when there’s another body, their blood will be on **_your_** hands.” With a growl she turned on her heel and led Casavir back through the palace, angry with the way things had turned out.

“This fucking close,” she grumbled, squeezing her thumb and forefinger together as she walked. “Stupid fucking Steward. Since when does _he_ get to decide who’s best suited for serving the people. I don’t remember **_Ulfric_** sharing his title but hey, _what the fuck do I know, right?_ ” she rambled aloud, waving her arms dramatically as they left the quiet keep. With an exasperated groan she pulled her hood back up over her head and trudged over the frosted path back to the inn, shoving her hands in her pockets to keep them out of the cold.

“Lady Eroeh…” Casavir started carefully, waiting for her to look in his direction before continuing. “I find myself curious, and must ask. However did you become involved with the Dark Brotherhood in the first place?” Eroeh thought for a moment and let out a deep sigh, looking towards the sky as they walked. “They killed someone close to me, a good friend,” she said soberly. “So I stole a contract to get their attention. One from right here in Windhelm, in fact,” she scrunched her face at the memory.

After a moment, she continued. “There was a young boy who’d been violently abused by the mistress of the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften. The poor kid had been seeking them out for weeks to put an end to the wretched old woman and save the other children,” she said, her voice breaking a little. “In _their_ best interest, I told him I’d do it. So I went back to Riften, snuck into Honorhall, and slit the bitch’s throat without hesitation while she slept. I can still remember the sound of the old womans assistant screaming in horror, and the children cheering when they saw what I’d done,” she explained remorsefully.

“Anyways, I’d travelled back here to let him know it’d been done, and afterwards I went to sleep at the inn. Next thing I knew I was waking up in a bloodstained shack out in the Hjaalmarch swamps, and was given my audition for the team,” Eroeh shrugged. “After I made the cut, I spent two years among their ranks until I found out who was responsible for my friend’s death, and avenged him. The rest is history.”

Looking at her pensive expression as she absentmindedly watched the snow fall, Casavir could tell there was more to it, but decided that he’d save those questions for another time. “Very well, my lady. When do you suppose we will be leaving the city? I must admit it makes me most uncomfortable knowing that the man who attacked Lady Rona is still on the loose. Even more so since the Steward is determined to stonewall us,” he asked, eyes darting about every corner as they walked.

Lowering her eyes from the sky she could see how similar he was behaving to Bishop in that moment. “Who says I’m gonna _listen_ to him?” Eroeh smirked, raising an eyebrow at the paladin. “You mean to hunt the attacker down, then?” he asked, giving her a perplexed but not entirely surprised expression. “ _Of **course** I am_. Nobody attacks my friends like that and gets away with it, Cas. They have no idea the hell they’ve brought onto themselves,” she chuckled with a menacing smile. “Trust me, I learned from the best, Casavir. With or without the steward’s help, this guy is going down.”

** Setting ** **: Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm**

Making their way back inside the inn, they went upstairs to find their table empty. Heading back to the ground floor towards their rented rooms, they could hear Bishop grumbling and Rona’s laughter, along with the sound of boots bouncing off the floor through the wooden door. Giving each other a deeply confused look, they opened the door only to find the pair seated on the floor, Rona still fully dressed with cards in hand, and Bishop down to nothing but his leather pants.

“I call bullshit, how the fuck are you doin’ it?” the ranger growled as he set his cards down and glared at the tiny Altmer.

Rona giggled and shrugged saying, “I guess my poker face is just better than yours.”

He got up, still grumbling and started to undo his belt before he noticed Eroeh and Casavir both standing there and stammered, “It’s not what it looks like!” His pants fell down to his ankles and he looked down and said, “Okay, it's exactly what it looks like.”

“It looks like _you_ suck at poker,” Eroeh laughed. “If _that’s_ all it took, we should have played sooner!” she laughed, patting Casavir’s shoulder as she entered the room.

Rona laughed some more as Eroeh plopped down next to her and she asked, “How did it go? They gonna investigate the attack?”

Casavir just frowned and grabbed a nearby chair, taking a seat as he slumped his shoulders and pressed his hands together.

“ _So yeah, about that..._ it didn’t go how we were hoping at all. We got stonewalled, and Jorleif was a total bitch about the whole thing.” She sighed irritably. “This guy’s apparently killed before, and he seems to have a thing for Nordic women. You’re lucky he spotted your ears when he did, Rona. It could’ve gone far worse... Either way I’m still up for hunting the fucker down, with or without the city guards help. You guys in or no?” she asked, looking between her companions expectantly.

Rona eyed her anxiously, and Bishop just stared at Eroeh with half-lidded eyes, “You’re nuts, you know that? It’s one thing to cut up and kill idiot bandits, but you wanna go after a _serial killer?_ Someone who _actually_ has a brain?” It was a little amusing to see him trying to sound so serious with only his underwear on.

“Well it’s either **_we_** do it or he stays on the loose. The city guard have no idea what they’re dealing for starters, but honestly- who better to catch a killer than a killer, right?” she chuckled awkwardly before quickly pursing her lips tight.

_Shit,_ she thought, nostrils flaring. _I should **NOT** have said that._

Casavir shifted uneasily in his seat, shocked that she’d just dropped that information into conversation so carelessly. “Like I said Sweetness, it’s one thing to kill bandits, but someone who **_actually_** has a brain? I dunno about all that.” Bishop huffed, absentmindedly eyeing his cards. _Well at least he’s pretty,_ Eroeh thought with a wry smile, grateful he was so slow on the uptake. Or drunk. Or some convenient mix of the two.

“Wait, you’re a _killer_?” Rona asked, staring hard at Eroeh. She noticed Casavir fidgeting in his seat more uncomfortably then, and looked between the two of them while he tried to keep his eyes pointedly away from hers.

“ ** _Ex-_** killer thank you very much. I _don’t **do**_ contract kills anymore!” Eroeh shot back defensively through gritted teeth, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Rona blinked and Bishop slowly turned to look at her now too, staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and astonishment. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Rona asked.

“Because you didn’t ask! It’s not like I’m still an active member anymore or anything!” she griped, turning away with an embarrassed pout. “I don’t see what the big deal is, I mean **_really_**. Not like anybody in this room hasn’t **_killed_** somebody before, bandit or otherwise…” she grumbled, her face pinkening in shame. “So _excuuuuuse_ the fuck outta me…” she frowned, staring at the wood grain of the floor intently.

“Wait, hold up,” Bishop threw a hand up, “You were a _professional?_ ”

“ ** _Was_** being the operative term here, Bishop. Again, I don’t exactly take _contracts_ anymore. And for your information Rona, I had good reason for joining them in the first place!” Eroeh squeaked defensively, avoiding eye contact.

Bishop smiled wryly at her reply and said, “My, my. Looks like we have quite a few things in common then, Ladyship.”

Rona looked between all three of them then, noting Eroeh’s and Bishop’s weird, flirtatiously exchanged glances over the subject, while Casavir was still trying very hard not to look at her while his cheeks pinkened.

Rona stammered, “Wait! Has everyone here actually… _murdered people!?_ ” she spat the words.

Finally Casavir met her gaze, looking ashamed of himself and said, “My lady… I…”

Bishop barked, “I already told you, we were _bandits_. The son of a bitch we worked for was a nasty bastard, and we had no choice-!” He pressed his lips firmly together, stopping himself as he realized he’d just blabbed far too much.

“Uh-oh. _Cat’s out of the bag_ ,” Eroeh chuckled nervously.

Casavir glared at him, “You _told_ her that?”

Bishop rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and coughed, “Er… I may have mentioned it…”

“What else did you tell her!?”

Bishop started chewing on his tongue and mumbled something nonsensical while he shrugged.

“Damn it Bishop! You were always like that! Running your damn mouth with only a few tankards of ale in your gullet!”

Rona tried to calm the broiling disagreement and said, “Casavir, it’s alright, _really_.”

He looked disgusted with himself, clenching his fists as he quickly left the room and hurried out of the inn.

“Casavir wait!” She cried, but he was surprisingly fast for a man dressed in armor when he wanted to be. 

“Just let him cool off, Rona. He needs a minute,” Bishop said as he folded his cards and started grabbing his clothes. “By the way, wasn’t there somewhere we were supposed to be?”

“ _Yeah_ , you and I still have a concert to crash. Are you still going with me, or not?” she asked the ranger, eyeing him warily. “Are you kidding? Like I’d miss the chance to pelt that little shit with tomatoes. Speaking of, did you find any while you were out?” he asked excitedly, standing up to get his clothes back on. 

“ _Shit_. No, I didn’t look. I got too angry about being blackballed by the steward,” Eroeh groaned, angry with herself for skipping out on her _one_ job.

“Anyways, you’re welcome to join us as well, Rona. You and Casavir both are. I was planning on inviting you both when you came back earlier, but then the whole _‘attempted murder’_ thing happened…” Eroeh trailed off, doing vague rolling motions with her hands. “The guy we’re going to see was a total dickhead and super skeezy, so we were gonna pelt him with tomatoes if I could find any. You in or what?” she asked, looking to her companion nervously.

“But… Casavir...” she trailed off, still looking out the door after him.

“Look, Casavir’s a big boy, he can handle himself. We can leave a note so he knows where to find us when he comes back. You and I _both_ know good and well that Cas’ll be back, Rona,” Eroeh chuckled. “Gods know the poor bastard’s absolutely _smitten_ with you,” she finished with a smile. Standing up, she dusted off her pants and offered Rona a hand. “In the meantime, I say we try to get our minds off of all this serial killer shit for tonight, and have a good time. I think we’ve both earned it.”

“Yeah you’re right,” she said, shrugging it off and smirking at Eroeh’s comment, “Let’s try to have some fun.”

“Good deal,” Eroeh chuckled before flashing a brilliant white smile, beyond excited for the evening at hand. 

“Do I get to watch you two get ready?” Bishop quipped from behind them, pulling on his jacket and fastening its many buckles. 

“Personally I don’t care, but I doubt she wants you seeing her naked, Bishop,” Eroeh laughed, patting him on the shoulder and leaving the room with a shrug.

“Can’t blame me for tryin!” he called back after her with a laugh as she sauntered out of sight and into the next room over. 

“It’s why I kept winning at strip-poker, to prevent just that,” Rona smirked at him.

He pursed his lips as he pulled his jacket on and buckled it asking, “How did you pick up on that so fast anyhow?”

She grinned, “What? You honestly think I’ve never played cards before? I used to play with my Guildmates all the time.”

He gaped at her, “You fucking _hustled_ me.”

Rona gave him a teasing smirk as she left and made her way into their room.

“Alright! Let’s see what we can pull together for tonight! _Hmm…_ You don’t exactly keep extra clothes on hand, and your sleeves need to be repaired…” she mused aloud. “All _I_ have on hand is my sleeping stuff and that tavern dress… Maybe we could ask Samael for help? I dunno, he dresses pretty well, right?” She wondered reluctantly, pinching her chin between her thumb and forefinger as she looked at her pack and eyed the Sanguine Rose.

“That sounds like fun,” Rona said, “I can do our hair and makeup, I know a few fun spells!”

“Hell yeah, that sounds like a plan!” she giggled, reaching for the staff tied to her pack. Tapping it on the ground, she watched eagerly as the summoning circle formed in violet light in the center of the floor, the telltale inky black cloud of his impending arrival spreading through the air. Within moments the Dremora stood before them, tall and lean-looking in his usual quilted leather coat. 

_“How can I be of service, Mistress?”_ he purred expectantly, the soft glow of his pearlescent white eyes honed in on hers. 

“ _Okay…_ this is gonna sound dumb, but do you think you could help us out with something?” she asked, watching as he tipped his head in the affirmative. _“Of course, Mistress. You know I live to service your **every** desire.”_

With a nervous chuckle at his wording, Eroeh continued. “We’ve got a concert to crash, and nothing to wear,” she explained, sheepishly shifting her weight from one leg to the other. 

Rona was amused by how nervous the Dremora made Eroeh when she was typically so bold otherwise, so she stepped in and said, “We want to look sexy!”

Samael looked over at her and said snidely, _“Oh, you’re still here?”_

Rona scowled at him, “Yes, I’m still here. _Rude…_ ”

Eroeh chuckled a bit at the exchange, before clearing her throat and moving the conversation along. “Anyways… She’s right, we want to look good for this, but we don’t exactly have anything on hand…” she explained awkwardly.

_“I could do that with little to no effort, Mistress. But as per our agreement…”_ he purred, nipping his bottom lip as he eyed hers. “Of course Samael, I haven’t forgotten our price,” she sighed, moving in towards him.

In one swift motion Samael wrapped an arm around her waist and dipped her backwards, gently cradling the edge of her jaw in his slender fingers. Eroeh held his face in her hands as he leaned into her, pressing his lips to hers in a heated kiss. Without thinking Eroeh arched herself up to meet him, and ran her fingers through his ebon locks, softly stroking the underside of his neck with her thumbs as she wove her fingers into his hair. He groaned pleasurably against her mouth at her touch, and nipped at her lip as she pulled away for breath.

Eroeh’s face was flushed from his attention, and her eyes slowly snapped out of their glazed over state as she remembered whose cinnamon-flavored lips she’d been locked with. “How was that?” she asked breathlessly, trying to regain her composure. _“Paid in full~”_ the Dremora smiled, drawing his lower lip between his teeth. “Good!” She squeaked at his hungry gaze, slipping from his grasp as quickly as she could.

Looking to Rona, he eyed her impatiently. “You also request my services, yes?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the little Altmer. 

Rona closed the space between them then and gave the tall Daedra a quick peck on the lips, nothing at all like she’d done back in the College Dining Hall.

Awestruck at the briefness of her kiss, he eyed her inquisitively before smiling knowingly. _“Someone has a new boy toy, I presume?”_ he purred, grinning in victory as Rona quickly turned away from him, her ears glowing bright red at his questioning.

Eroeh tried her best not to snicker as she glanced between the two of them, knowing full well he’d called the situation exactly. She instead opted to clear her throat, breaking the tension and calling them back to the task at hand. “So, Samael. Show us what you got!” she laughed, spreading her arms wide.

[ **_Bad Girls (Recommended Listening)_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKuw0Z_jTgw)

With a sly grin and a wave of his hand, The pair were enveloped from the neck down in ribbons of ink and smoke, the tendrils tickling their skin as Eroeh’s armor and Rona’s dress were dissolved and replaced with styles of dresses neither of them had ever seen before.

When the smoke subsided, Rona was wearing an incredibly short mint green dress that barely reached mid-thigh, with a bodice that cinched around the neck via a matching green ribbon. It had no sleeves, and Rona squeaked as she looked down and saw that the center of the chest had been cut out, leaving her cleavage exposed. Quickly turning around and covering her chest in panic, she found that the skirt raised considerably, fluttering with sudden movement. “ ** _AAAH!_** ” she shrieked, quickly moving one hand from her chest to her ass.

Eroeh laughed at Rona’s reaction, and admired the dress’ simple, yet flirty design. “Were those pink garters I saw under there?” she asked with a disbelieving smile, dying of laughter as Rona lifted her skirt to take a good look at what was going on underneath.

“ ** _AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!_** ” she shrieked again, “ ** _HE TOOK MY PANTIES!_** ” she gasped, pulling at the hole in the center of her chest to see that he’d taken and replaced her brassier as well as her underwear with a set of well made pale pink lacy lingerie, complete with lace-up closures at the front of the bust and crotch. “ _YOU DO REALIZE IT’S **SNOWING** OUTSIDE, RIGHT?!_” she yelled at the dremora, who promptly waved into existence a thick, white, fur lined cloak with a gold and opal clasp in the shape of a rose. _“Specially enchanted with Daedric grade resist frost, for the lady~”_ he purred whimsically.

“You’ve outdone yourself Samael, _really_...” Eroeh cooed as she inspected her own ensemble. Looking down at herself, she admired the way the slinky fabric of her skin-tight dress brought out her curves. From the hips up the shimmering soft gold of the fabric hugged her body like a second skin, with an enticingly low cut neckline that exposed the tops of her firm, lightly freckled breasts.

The thin straps that held the dress up went over her shoulders, criss-crossing down and across her back in an elaborate pattern that exposed skin all the way down to the small of her back. The skirt of the dress was looser, falling in slinky waves long enough to barely brush the floor, with an agonizingly long slit up the right side that reached her hip.

At her feet were two white leather stilettos, the heels embellished like two impeccably ruby-jeweled golden daggers. The fronts bore ornate, golden, High Rock-inspired fleur designs in intricate metalwork, and Eroeh wondered momentarily what kind of price they might fetch with the right buyer.

With a sultry chuckle Samael waved a hand in Eroeh’s direction, and a white fur stole appeared, gracefully draped over her shoulders and clasped with a gold and ruby rose. _“Also enchanted, to better protect my Mistress~”_ he purred.

_“Oh yes, before I forget…”_ he chuckled, flicking his fingers towards the girls with a grin. As he did, a pair of ornate hand mirrors appeared in his grasp, which he offered to them.

Using the mirrors, the girls took a look at the last thing he’d given them. In Rona’s hair was a delicate silver and pearl comb that resembled a sprig of baby’s breath, and in Eroeh’s a comb to match with gold metal work with small rubies for the buds instead of pearls. “Oooh, I love it!” Eroeh cooed, looking at her reflection in the mirror. “Now all we need to do is fix our hair and faces!” she giggled, playfully patting Rona’s shoulder next to her.

With a soft smile Eroeh turned back to her Daedric Incubus. “Thank you Samael, we both really appreciate this. I have to wonder though, we... _do_ get to keep this stuff, right?” 

He chuckled low in his chest, and tipped his head. _“Of course, Lady Eroeh. You’ve both completed the transaction, and my services are absolute~”_ he purred before slowly dissipating in a cloud of inky violet smoke. _“I eagerly await your next call, Mistress~”_ his otherworldly voice echoed in her ears as he disappeared back to the Myriad Realms of Revelry.

Untying the ribbon in her hair she let her snowy white curls fall naturally down her back and shoulders in thick, loose coils before coating her hands with lavender oil and combing through them with her fingers to clean them up. 

Rona stood in front of the dresser mirror and ran her glowing fingers through her hair, lengthening her locks significantly and curling them wildly as she went. She changed the part in her hair and pushed her now very long bangs upwards giving them plenty of volume. When she was finished she touched her eyelids and lips applying a magical natural brown eyeshadow, dark liner and made her lips a shade darker in pink. And with that she blew a kiss and winked at herself in the mirror.

She kept it simple for Eroeh, lining the Bosmer’s upper lashes and the outer halves of the bottom to give her already striking eyes a bit of definition. Swiping her finger over Eroeh’s lower lip, she tinted them to a shade of soft plum, complementing the pale green of her eyes.

Just as they finished getting ready Bishop knocked on the door, clearly getting impatient. “Are you two done yet? I swear, what is it with women and taking forever to-” he cut off as Eroeh opened the door, looking like something straight out of a Dibellan fantasy. “Ok, forget what I was saying. By all means, **_PLEASE_** do this more often,” he chuckled excitedly, a lupine grin spreading wide across his face as he looked her up and down. “Shit Pinky, you’re lookin pretty good yourself,” he complimented, eyeing the titty window and extremely short skirt she was wearing. She rolled her eyes and finished scrawling a note for Casavir, folding it neatly and walking past the pair to stick it in the boys’ doorjamb so he’d know where to find them if he returned before them.

“Where’d you two even get this shit, Sweetness? Cause I’ve only ever dreamed of this kinda stuff,” he asked, still shaking his head in disbelief. 

“I may have asked for a little… otherworldly help…” Eroeh giggled, looking back at the Sanguine Rose laying across her bed. 

“Well then, remind me to thank him the next time you drag his ass out of Oblivion… cause DAMN…” he chuckled, running a gloved hand softly down her side. “Are you ladies good to go? Cause if you don’t make me leave now, we might never make it to that little tart’s concert.”

“All good to go,” Eroeh smiled, looping an arm around his and reaching back for Rona’s hand.


	18. Party Crashing Pirates

**Setting: Windhelm Docks**

Just outside Windhelm, at the local docks a pair of Argonians were leaving their work to turn in for the night when they both stopped and stared at an enormous, battered old ship headed their way.

Stand-In-Shallows nudged his companion and said, "Skooma's hitting me pretty hard friend. Tell me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing right now."

Scouts-Many-Marshes gaped in awe at the beast of a ship, marked with thick pikes all along the sides and a dragon skull fixed to the front, "I'm afraid to say that what you're seeing is very real Shallows..."

The ship was bustling with twenty or more men, running about drawing the sails down and all singing along loudly to the same song no less.

[ **_Eliza Lee_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAtMan8mNzM) ****

_"The smartest clipper you can find is_

_Ho-way, ho, are you 'most done?_

_She's the Margaret Evans of the Blue Star Line_

_Clear away the track an' let the bullgine run!"_

"It's Jack," Marshes said still gaping at the beast of a boat.

"Looks like he fixed up his ship," Shallows grunted.

"Thought he was banned from port," Marshes grumbled.

As the pirates worked to dock their ship, singing all the while, another curious character appeared from the Windhelm gates.

Shallows nudged his fellow and said, "Think I need to lay off the Skooma, Marshes. I'm seeing knights now."

"Hm?" Marshes looked up and eyed the distressed looking Paladin and scoffed, "Did you slip me some you slithering bastard? I'm seeing it too."

“As if I’d waste it on you,” Shallows hissed.

Casavir was still reeling from the fact that Bishop had shared his darkest secret with her. He was rubbing at his head, trying to clear his thoughts when he heard some very loud singing coming from just outside the southeast gates. He went through, following the sound, grateful for the distraction and stepped out onto the platform. He was amazed to see an enormous ship docking there. It wasn’t a particularly nice looking ship or anything, in fact it was rather run down, covered in barnacles, full of holes and looking all around weathered and rotted in places. But what really made it stand out were the thick pikes affixed to the sides and the enormous Dragon’s Skull prominently set at the bow. 

Casavir hadn’t even noticed that he’d started walking towards it until he was standing right at its side and a large wooden plank came crashing down next to him. The cheerful and jaunty seamen started walking down the plank, stamping their feet and singing boisterously. Plenty of them were bogged down with large linen sacks thrown over their shoulders. Most of them had some form of liquor bottle, tankard or flask in hand as well. 

Then the Captain himself appeared at the top of the plank shouting, “AY! LADS! To Candlehearth Hall! We’re to drink ‘em dry tonight!” He gave a raucous laugh while his mates all cheered and started to stomp down with the rest of them. He stopped when he noticed Casavir and both of them looked each other over.

Casavir noticed that he was the finest dressed of the lot, although still fairly bedraggled looking with a torn up red coat and an enormous black faded tricorn on his head. His thick dark beard was scraggly and marked by a few white strands and it looked like he’d spilled drink in it, because it was damp. The Captain grinned broadly, revealing several gold teeth and a few gaps between the rest.

“Wouldja look at that me boyo’s! We got ourselves a Knight o’ the Nine!”

The men all turned back to look at him bleary-eyed for a moment, abruptly bringing their sea shanties to a stop.

Casavir felt his neck burning, having so many people staring at him, but then the Captain threw a hand to his shoulder and slurred, “What brings ye to an old port this late in the eve, lad?” He chuckled and then guessed, “Didja realize there were no brothels in this fair city and come to find yourself a damsel in distress to save?”

Casavir scowled at him and said, “Of course not!”

Jack just laughed, playfully clapping the tall knight on the shoulder. “I’m just messin with ye lad. Gods’ honest truth ya look like you could use a drink, wouldja care, perhaps, to join me lowly crew for awhile at the local tavern? We’ve got the booze if you can manage to keep up!” he laughed, flashing his gapped, gold-capped grin once more.

Thinking for a moment, Casavir figured _Fuck it, why not. I’ve already faltered in my vows this far, and it isn’t like Lady Rona could possibly think less of me now that she knows about **HER**._ “You know... I do believe I will. I’ve gone without for quite long enough,” he grumbled, giving the Captain an affirmative nod.

Jack was positively beaming. “That’s great, boyo! Ye hear that lads? We got ourselves a new hand for the evening!” he cackled joyously, offering his hand to the paladin. “The name’s Jack. Cap’n Jack. Welcome to the crew, lad,” he smiled.

“My name is Casavir. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Captain.”

Jack smiled as they shook hands before passing the nearly full bottle of Stros M’kai Rum he’d held at his side to the stiff younger man. “To letting loose and living life!” he toasted, followed by excited shouts from his crew as they made their way into town.

Casavir turned the bottle up unabashedly as they walked, sucking sharply through his teeth as he swallowed, the familiar burn of liquor slithering down his throat and warming his insides. “ _Gah_ , it’s been far too long. I almost forgot what this felt like,” he groaned, shaking his head before taking another deep swallow of spiced rum. “Though something tells me this is going to be a long night…” he muttered as they made their way up the pathway through the Gray Quarter towards the inn.

** Setting ** **: Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm**

“So,” Jack started as they made their way into the inn. “What in blazes could drive a stalwart Knight o’ the Nine to break his vows, eh? A woman, perhaps?” he probed as they entered the inn, the grouch of an innkeeper giving them dirty looks as the crew filed in behind them.

“It’s er… complicated,” Casavir groaned, following Jack up the stairs towards the upper floor of the tavern.

“Well lad, alls I’ve got is time, so ye might as well go ahead and tell ol’ Jackie boy what ails ya!” The older Redguard laughed as he carelessly sauntered over to a table and plopped into a seat. The very seat Casavir had left Rona occupying when he’d left to speak to the steward and captain of the guard.

“I fail to see what it could hurt. I doubt you will remember any of it later, or that you’d care enough to try and use it against me,” Casavir huffed, taking another deep swig and setting the bottle on his knee with a sigh. “Before I was a paladin, almost a decade ago in fact, I was a bandit. I worked for a foul man by the name of Thorn, and did things… _**horrible** things_, that will forever haunt me. I fell in love with a working girl, a _courtesan_. A beautiful Redguard by the name of Luka…” he frowned as his last memory of her played in his mind.

“I sought to save her from a life of being used and discarded, and in doing so was ultimately the death of her, my friend’s younger brother, and almost myself,” he sighed before downing a mouthful of Rum. “You see, I’d attempted to turn Thorn in to the city guard, to put an end to his reign of tyranny.” His eyes darkened as he cast his gaze to the floor in shame. “But when he inevitably discovered my betrayal, he _took_ Luka as means of teaching me a lesson... shackled me to a wall and mutilated her in front of me.”

“Shit, boy…” Jack muttered in response, horrified. He drank deep at the thought of it all.

“That isn’t even the end of it all. Thorn left me there in that dark, disgusting dungeon, forcing me to watch helplessly as Luka cried out in pain and her life pooled beneath her on the filthy floor,” he explained, choking up a little as his cheeks quickly pinkened. “The next thing I knew the Knights of the Nine had overrun the stronghold, but it was too late to save _her_. When they left, I went with them and never looked back. I’ve been determined to atone for my sins ever since.” With a pained sigh, Casavir turned the bottle up, chugging for a few seconds straight as his face began burning red with the telltale flush of drunkenness and the ghosts of his past haunted him.

“That’s uh… quite the heavy tale lad,” Jack replied awkwardly. “But I must ask ya… what’s it got to do with what’s upsettin ya _now?_ ” he asked, taking a drink from his own bottle.

“That’s where things get complicated, Jack,” Casavir groaned, wiping a spot of escaped rum from his lip with the back of his gauntlet. “When I took my vows, one of them was a vow of _chastity_. Here in recent weeks, I’ve found myself in the company of a woman… a beautiful, sweet, **_smart_** half-Altmer who for **_SOME GODSFORSAKEN REASON_** is interested in **_me_** ,” he chuckled disbelievingly.

“ _So_ , I’ve been trying my damndest to make sure she only sees the _best_ of me, because despite all I’ve done, I figure it’s worth a chance to try and pursue this… this **_thing_** we have going on, whatever the hell it is. The trouble with that Jack, is that besides _myself_ , she’s also travelling with another woman, a spritely little minx of a half-Bosmer, and the old friend I mentioned whose _brother_ I got killed. A friend who knows **_-all-_** of my sins. A _friend_ , mind you, who after a couple of tankards of ale, _can’t keep his damn trap shut about **anything**!_” Casavir groaned loudly in exasperation.

“Aye, I believe I see where this is headed,” Jack nodded along, taking a swig from his own bottle as he listened on.

“Yes, unfortunately for me, Bishop couldn’t manage to keep that lovely little tale to himself, and told her all about my past. All about the scoundrel I was. So now I’m certain I’ve lost all chances with her that I _might_ have had, and will end up dying alone. Like allllll the other unfortunate sons of bitches in the Order…” he slurred, his face and neck various shades of crimson and his eyes bleary from drink.

“That is most unfortunate, lad. Have you thought, perhaps, to talk to the lass about it yourself?” Jack asked carefully, his tawny cheeks flushed from the alcohol.

“You know what, Jack? I think you’re right. I think I’m gonna go talk to her right now!” Casavir slurred, standing up too quickly and clutching the table to gather his bearings. “We’re staying here at the inn- so she should be _downstairs_ , in ‘er room, right where I left ‘er!” He then proceeded to stumble towards the stairs, Jack hot on his heels as he tried to keep the big man from falling down the stairs in his state. 

“Aye lad! I’ll get ye to ‘er in no time! Just gotta watch the steps, ya know!” he laughed, throwing one of Casavir’s arms over his shoulders and wrapping one of his own around the knight’s waist for support. “Gods almighty, yer a heavy one!” he strained with a chuckle.

Making it downstairs to their rented rooms, Casavir stopped at the girls’ door, knocking on the heavy wood far louder than he’d intended. “Lady Rona? I need to speak to you, urgently!” he slurred, swaying in Jack’s grip as he struggled to stay upright.

“Oi lad, is this your room over here?” Jack asked, tipping his head towards the next door over.

“Yeah, but she’s not in _there_ Jack. That’s **_my_** room, not hers,” Casavir answered matter-of-factly.

“Well yes I understand that, boy. But unless there’s another lad named Casavir staying in _your_ room, _in **this** inn, **right at this moment in time**_ \- I believe you’ve been left a note,” Jack responded, rolling his eyes and chuckling at the drunken Breton.

“Oh… Well then I guess I should read it then…” the paladin huffed, reaching over for the piece of neatly folded parchment. “Looks like Rona’s handwriting to me,” he shrugged, looking at the penmanship before unfolding it. Squinting his eyes to try and focus, he realized he was unable in his current state. “Shit, I can’t read, my eyes are blurry…” he slurred sadly.

Jack took the parchment from him and leaned him against the nearby wall. “Want me to read it for ya? I’m not that far gone yet…”

“Please... if ya don’t mind…” Casavir asked before hiccuping and burping at the same time.

“Alright then lad,” Jack said, clearing his throat to read. “It says something about not being mad about what yer friend told her, and that if ye want to talk they’re at a concert in the Palace of the Kings, and yer more than welcome to meet up with them there”

“So she isn’t mad at me?” Casavir asked disbelievingly.

“Seems not, lad. Now doesn’t that sound lovely, a concert in the city…” Jack chuckled, folding the note back before handing it to Casavir.

“A concert... Yes, that sounds like fun!” Casavir laughed, taking the note and stuffing it into his chestplate. “I say we meet them there, good sir. You an’ me! I think they’ll like you Jack, cause they **_really_** like to drink!” he slurred with a giggle deeper than any giggle had the right to be.

“Well don’t mind if I do, lad! I’ll go call up the stairs for the crew and we’ll all go together! How’s that sound to you, Cassie boy?” Jack cheered, slapping the paladin’s pauldron excitedly.

Casavir just grinned like a dope at his _super awesome idea_ that **_totally_** wasn’t induced by what was potentially treading into the territory of alcohol poisoning, and what was _most **definitely**_ leading to what would be the worst hangover he’d ever have to look forward to in his _entire_ life.

** Setting ** **: Palace of the Kings Auditorium, Windhelm**

“Man, look at all this free booze!” Eroeh gasped, eyeing the buffet tables laid out with an assortment of alcohol and food. She excitedly skipped over to the table, completely oblivious to the looks she was getting from the other patrons as her… _softer parts_ bounced mid-run.

Bishop bit at his lower lip, giving a low, naughty chuckle as he watched the way her curves shifted in the slinky pale gold dress.

“Careful ranger before you punch a hole in your pants,” Rona snorted, rolling her eyes and patting his shoulder as she passed him to join Eroeh at the refreshment table.

“Rona look! They have _brandyyyyyy_ ~” Eroeh whispered excitedly before swiping one of the spare bottles from under the table when nobody was looking. Grabbing a glass, she happily made her way to a spot along the nearby wall. 

“Shadowbanish wine!” Rona squealed, “This stuff is so _rare_ ,” she exclaimed, grabbing one of the larger wine glasses and filling it to the top.

With a satisfied smile, Eroeh threw back the double in the glass and beckoned her companions to join her with a come-hither gesture and saucy smirk. Rona joined her, leaning against the wall as she sipped on her _very_ full glass.

Bishop chuckled and grabbed a glass tumbler of brandy for himself, taking a sip of the sweet, smoky liquor as he casually sauntered over to Eroeh with one hand lazily stuck in his pocket. When he leaned back against the wall next to her, she gave him a playful wink and brought the bottle of brandy to her lips, grabbing the cork with her teeth and yanking it out with a satisfying _-pop-_. Spitting the cork onto the floor she proceeded to fill her glass with a pleased smirk, her bottom lip held firmly between her teeth in anticipation.

“Strong as it is, this shit kind of grows on you after awhile,” Bishop chuckled, clinking his cup to hers and taking a swig. “Doesn’t it, though?” Eroeh asked in turn, humming happily as she enjoyed the brandy’s warmth.

Rona looked around the room and started people watching and said, “Wow, lots of nobles here tonight. Some even look like royalty. I wonder what this is all for.”

Bishop scoffed, “Probably just Ulfric showing off and making nice with other nobility, trying to get more funding for his war... Well speak of the Daedra,” he pointed up at one of the theater booths where Ulfric Stormcloak stepped in with his steward at his side and a pair of other regally dressed people. They all took seats there and continued making idle conversation.

“Just like I thought,” Bishop smirked knowingly and took another swig of his brandy.

Eroeh happily lifted her bottle and poured him another, all the while side-eyeing the shit out of the Jarl in his booth. “So Bishop, you don’t think we’re a bit… _overdressed_ for this, do you?” she asked, fighting a smile as his gaze traveled down the front of her dress. “Not at all. Though I wouldn’t mind if you were wearing less. It’s a shame to hide that body of yours,” he chuckled, taking his hand from his pocket and resting it on the swell of her hip.

“ _Oh really now?_ ” Eroeh purred, looping her arm through his as she leaned into him, pressing her chest against his with a sultry giggle as her cheeks began to pinken. “Why don’t you tell me more about that, big boy?” she smiled, biting her lower lip and tipping her face up towards his. “Mmmh, how about I show you instead?” Bishop hummed pleasurably in response, drawing Eroeh tighter against him and grabbing a handful of her ass.

Rona heavily rolled her eyes at the two frisky drunks next to her. She was missing Casavir badly, and wanted so much for him to join them so she wasn't feeling like such a third wheel. She was definitely happy that Eroeh had found her someone, even if that someone was Bishop, the gruff and drunk Ranger. But she was feeling incredibly lonely, and even if he would never like her romantically, at least Casavir was someone she could wander off with while her other two comrades had their own fun.

She was grateful when in that moment, Bishop’s and Eroeh’s flirtatious giggles were interrupted by a female announcer, “Welcome one and all to the Windhelm Theater House! Would everyone please take your seats as our show is about to begin!”

People started to break away from their conversations and shuffled along towards their seats. Rona grabbed Eroeh’s hand, yanking her out of Bishop’s grasp and dragged her along one of the aisles, finding some seating on a bench. She took the side closest to the exit on the off chance her two companions started to get obscenely handsy in their drunken stupor and she needed a quick getaway.

“Ow! Okay, okay, I get it **_mom_** , _I’M GOOOOOING!_ ” Eroeh griped with a strained laugh, taking a seat next to Rona along the bench. “Bishop, c’mon!” she called after the grump of a ranger, who promptly followed them and sat alongside the little Bosmer, putting her in the middle.

The three of them watched as Alec the bard stepped out onto the stage and introduced himself as pretentiously as possible, although Rona had a feeling he actually believed he was being humble. He welcomed everyone there including his host the Great Jarl Ulfric himself. A light applause was given and the show began. Almost immediately Bishop started grumbling loudly, but a few swift kicks in the ankles from Eroeh shushed him up real quick. Rona snickered with each muffled, “Ugh, I think my ears are bleeding - ow! I’m just saying the tart can’t even hold a tune - _ow!_ Ladyship, honestly, it should be you up there - **_Ack, Ow- FINE!!!_** _I’ll be quiet…_ ” he yelped, hissing through clenched teeth as Eroeh roughly mashed her heel into the toe of his boot.

“ _Okay_ ,” he grumbled quietly, “Definitely changed my mind about getting stepped on in those shoes later…”

Eroeh was caught so off guard that she snorted mid-drink, shooting a mouthful of brandy out of her nose with a painful groan as she held her face snickering like an idiot. Bishop patted her on the back, fighting his own laughter as Eroeh tried to clear her nose of the burning alcohol.

Rona bit her lip trying to stifle her own laughter. The minute the two of them calmed down however, she settled in and started nodding off a bit as the show droned on and on. Alec was a fine singer, but he was really nothing special, she thought. Her eyes glanced up at the Jarl for a moment and even he looked utterly disinterested with the entire performance, which became apparent when he gave a huge yawn, uselessly attempting to cover it with a huge hand.

The show went on for a good hour it seemed before they entered into the finale. The announcer stepped forward as the curtains fell and declared, “The one and only, Alec, Prince of Song, will now perform his incredible rendition of the Age of Oppression while the finest actors from all across Tamriel come together to reenact the Great Jarl Ulfric’s overthrowing of the treacherous High King Torygg - with Jarl Ulfric played by the Dragonborn himself! Gustav Thurp!”

Rona leaned forward in her seat, suddenly much more interested in the theatrics now as she mumbled incredulously, “ ** _Thurp?_** _His surname is **Thurp!?**_ ”

“You **_can’t_** be fucking serious,” Bishop laughed under his breath.

“ _Fuckin **THURP?!**_ ” Eroeh cackled before quickly covering her mouth as she choked on her laughter.

The curtains drew apart then, and Alec stepped forward and began to perform the most snotty and ridiculous rendition of the _‘Age of Oppression’_ Rona had ever heard. Then Gustav Thurp walked out on his skinny legs, flanked by plenty of other actors dressed up in the most pristine Stormcloak uniforms anyone had ever seen. While Alec warbled and droned on fancifully they watched in amusement as the Dragonborn spectacularly defeated all the Imperial soldiers thrown his way, which was really nothing more than him whapping them on the sides or shivving them under the armpit while they slumped to the floor and died in dramatic fashion.

The three of them were trying so damn hard to stifle their laughter as most of the crowd ooh’d and ahh’d at the absurd theatrics. Then Alec paused his singing for just a moment, only playing his lute while he was accompanied by a small orchestra. He stepped aside, allowing a mage’s candlelight to put a spotlight on Gustav while he dramatically approached the actor playing the skinny, pathetic man that was supposedly High King Torygg.

He thrust his sword out and announced with heroic daring, “By Talos Torygg! Step down from your seat cur, lest ye face my wrath traitorous dog!”

Hardly anyone noticed what the actor playing Torygg said, because in a second Gustav cut him off, mustering up his most noble of voices as he cried out, “Then die like the useless scoundrel you are!” Everyone held their breath, and it seemed even Gustav was holding his as he took a deep breath, puffing his enormous chest up. Then, with all the force in his gullet he released the most **_disgusting_** and **_thunderous belch_** anyone had ever heard. It sort of resembled a word, that word being _Fus,_ but otherwise it was just a loud burp. It pathetically blew across the stage and tossed the actor playing High King Torygg onto the floor with a light thump. Then Gustav made to leap forward and skewer the actor-played King on his sword, when a raucous and throaty laugh echoed into the entire theater.

As if on cue, every single person there turned their heads right around to see where it was coming from, and to everyone’s astonishment it was coming from one of the most ridiculously dressed people in the room. Rona’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the Redguard, who was quite obviously dressed like a pirate, and saw that he was not only flanked by twenty other odd men in pirate’s garb but by _Casavir_ as well _._ A very wobbly and red-eyed Casavir, in fact. 

Then Rona noticed something, which had been happening since Gustav Thurp first released his burp of a shout, and that was Bishop’s cackling, as he grabbed at the stitch in his side and blurted, “ _I-Is that_ ,” he breathed, “a fucking pirate!? And wait! _Casavir!?_ Is he actually _DRUNK!?_ Oh gods, I can’t,” he fell over, leaning into Eroeh’s shoulder while she giggled madly next to him and he said breathlessly between laughs, “Ladyship, I take back everything I said before. _Thank you..._ **_SO MUCH_** , for _dragging_ me... to this - _fucking. Awful._ _Shit-show!_ ”

“You’re **_so_** welcome,” she laughed, looking back to get a better look at their unfortunate paladin. “ _Wait… wait a fucking second. Is that… **JACK?!**_ ” she blurted in confusion, pale hazel eyes wide as the reality of their concert-crashers hit her like a ton of bricks. “ _Aw **shit…**_ ” she groaned, sinking down and hiding behind Bishop.

“Ye call that entertainment!?” The pirate roared over the stunned onlookers, “Come on lads, let’s give these fine folk some REAL entertainment,” he smirked mischievously, revealing several shining gold teeth among his other yellowed ones. Then he flipped a table hard, sending the pastries and liquor set on it flying across the room. Several drinks smacked a few people in the face and a pastry splattered right across some noblewoman’s huge, exposed upper chest, completely ruining her elegant gown. She threw her hands up and shrieked just as the pirates started slamming on their instruments, with the Redguard Captain bursting into song with his shanty men very loudly.

[ **_Black Sails YOHO!_ **](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F-tXSsqALA)

Bishop had a huge grin sprawled across his face and shouted, “ **OOOOHHHH SHIT!** ” The three of them ducked as the pirates started pulling rotting fruits and vegetables from their large linen sacks and began pelting all the theatergoers with them, catching a few of the noblemen and women in the faces as they all scrambled to get away.

Eroeh held up her hands, and quickly threw up a ward large enough to protect the three of them. Keeping them close, she guided them along the wall as they made a mad dash towards the doors.

The little Bosmer tried to keep her face hidden behind her outstretched arm and the soft fuzz of her white stole, but Jack had seen enough of her figure over the years to recognize it from a league away in the thickest of fog. “ _OY!_ How’s it goin’ there, boss lady? Wasn’t expectin’ ta run into _you_ ‘round these parts!” He laughed, waving an arm in greeting.

“ _Shit_ ,” she grumbled under her breath as they cleared the firing line, reluctantly dropping her ward and nervously waving back at the old drunk with a wry smile. “ _Hey Jack,_ ” she sighed, giving the old pirate a nervous look of _‘please don’t embarrass me more than I already am.’_

“You fucking KNOW this mad-bastard Ladyship?” Bishop blurted out loudly and drunkenly over the wild music.

“With as much as I drink, are you honestly that surprised?” she quipped back entirely too quickly, her pink cheeks turning a brighter shade of red as she went on the defensive.

“Aye lad, the little lass has a point. Unless she’s gone cold turkey on the drink, ye shouldn’t be surprised she’d know a scallywag of a scoundrel like m’self!” Jack laughed. “It’s just good business for a lady with a proclivity for drinking such as herself to know the continent’s most infamous Rum Runner!” he cackled, patting her on the back of the shoulder.

“ _I call bullshit,”_ Bishop said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. “You know him through your work with the Guild, don’t you?” Bishop asked unabashedly with a raised eyebrow, knowing better than to trust anything she’d say when acting so sheepish. She was a shitty liar, at least when it came to lying to **_him._**

“Oh I like _this_ one, lass. He’s a clever one, he is!” Jack chuckled, holding out a friendly hand. “Captain Jack’s the name; illegal imports and high-dollar smuggling be me specialty,” he beamed, showing off his gold capped and yellowed grin. “What’s yer name, lad?”

“ _Bishop_ ,” the ranger answered simply, shaking the old drunk’s hand with a smirk.

Rona hardly noticed the exchange between Jack, Eroeh, and Bishop. Her attentions were entirely on Casavir then, who stumbled stupidly over to her and stared at her wide-eyed, almost drooling even. She started blushing and remembered what she was wearing and threw a hand to the boob-window on her top and grabbed at the short hem of her little dress, trying to yank it down more. To her astonishment he did not blush or look away, although he was already fairly red in the face from being drunk. It seemed that liquor had the power to remove all his shyness.

“My lady…” she could hardly hear him over the loud music.

She knit her brows together and shouted, “Casavir, are you alright? You look… umm… a little flushed.”

He merely blinked at her, possibly trying to register her words. When he said nothing and wouldn't stop staring she sighed and stopped trying to cover herself. She stepped towards him and said, “Hey! We should dance! I love this kind of music and this party was really boring before, but,” she laughed looking up at the theater box where the Jarl was sitting, “it looks like even Jarl Ulfric is enjoying himself now!”

The Jarl was grinning ear to ear as he watched the pirates chug all the good liquor and pelt more of the nobles with moldy fruit. Then Jack quickly reached into one of the linen sacks left on the floor and pulled a particularly large and soft looking tomato from the bag.

Eyeing Alec, who was weaving through the crowd and dodging fruits and vegetables left and right, Jack kept his line of sight on the bard, following him steadily with a huge grin sprawled across his face as he carefully drew his arm back. Then with perfect precision he thrust his arm forward, throwing the dripping tomato right at Alec and hit him square in the face, sending him reeling backward with a light lady-like gasp into a group of nobles.

“And that’s how it’s done boyos!” Jack roared with laughter as he smacked his hands together. He wasn’t the only one chortling either, as Ulfric broke into a fit, grasping his stomach at the sight of the Imperial covered in rotten tomato.

“ ** _DAMN_** _, nice shot!_ ” Eroeh laughed over the growing noise of the crowd. Jack then sifted through the bag and found another tomato, handing it to the little Bosmer with a knowing smile. “ _Oh Jackie, you know just what to do to make me smile~_ ” she giggled, kissing the drunken lout on the cheek before carefully taking aim and lobbing the fruit at high speed, arcing it over the crowd before it fell back to the ground with precision accuracy, nailing the shitty little would-be bard right in the bottom of the nose and sending bits of rotten, crushed tomato up his unprotected nostrils.

Rona was laughing madly too. She could hardly believe her eyes at what was happening in that once stuffy, noble-run theater. Then she spotted a violin and her eyes sparkled mischievously. She looked around and noticed a cracked bottle of Shadowbanish wine, she grabbed it, took a huge gulp from it and threw it against the wall, shattering it to pieces.

She grabbed the violin, and Jack caught sight of her doing so and asked, “Aye! Wish to play somethin, do yah lass?”

“If you don’t mind!” She shouted cheerfully.

Jack raised his brows up and down flirtatiously, “Wouldn’t mind hearin’ that fer meself! I’ll gladly accompany ye!” He grabbed another violin from one of his stumbling mates, sending the man off balance, making him fall face first into a warm apple pie on the floor.

Rona ran right past Casavir, not even noticing his hard staring right at her bouncing behind as her short dress skipped a little too high up with each stride. Jack pat him on the shoulder and gave him a knowing grin and chuckled, “She’s a fine lass, son. Outdid yourself.”

Rona stood at the front of the stage and was quickly joined by Jack and a few of his shanty men. Most of their audience had already fled for the night, save for a few of the older, drunker noblemen who were laughing like idiots and getting even more wasted with their new pirate companions (as well as getting their pockets picked).

Jack started to stamp his foot, putting forth a steady beat and Rona immediately started to saw on the violin wildly, really getting into it despite being fairly drunk herself.

[ **_Galway Girl_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL-wB0qS5TI) **__ **

“ _Bishop, dance with me!_ ” Eroeh giggled, hiking up the slinky skirt of her dress with one hand and pulling the ranger by the hand onto the floor with her. “You know, I might not know all that fancy ballroom dancing bullshit. _But this… **this** I can do!_” he laughed, grasping her hand and placing his other one firmly at her waist before spinning her around the dance floor with reckless abandon.

Eroeh squealed giddily as they wove between other patrons, following Bishop’s lead effortlessly as he whipped her ‘round, releasing her waist time and time again while keeping hold of her other hand as he spun her outwards and drew her back in against him in perfect time to the music.

Eroeh hadn’t had so much fun in ages- and between the drink, the music, the _dancing_ , and _who_ she was dancing with, she didn’t know if she ever would again. She did know that she hadn’t seen Bishop smile so easily in the time they’d travelled together, and was excited for the sight of it. His suntanned cheeks were just as flushed as hers from the brandy, and with the way he confidently pulled her across the floor with that amount of careless grace, she couldn’t help but fall all the harder for him.

He was funny, charming, _devastatingly handsome_ , and above all else down to earth in a cynical way that matched her own perfectly. Yet despite their mutual fear and skepticism of the territory they’d begun to tread there they were, two people wary of the world and everyone in it, dancing and smiling like nothing they’d ever seen or been through before mattered. All that existed to them in that moment was the uplifting sound of the music in the air, and the feeling of each other’s bodies as they spun around the floor.

As they continued their joyful dancing around the floor, Bishop mischievously led Eroeh over the top of the fallen, tomato covered bard, causing her to stumble awkwardly as the point of her heel caught him right in his unprotected crotch. “ _Sorry!_ ” she squeaked, gritting her teeth as Bishop cringed at the downed Imperial, shrugging as he spun his little Bosmer away from him as he whimpered on the floor, clutching his smashed testicles. “ _Ooooh_ \- sorry man, my bad. Didn’t see you down there!” he cackled, sucking air sharply through his teeth and wincing at the downed bard’s pain.

Rona put all her passion into playing the violin and looked out over the small drunken crowd of pirates and laughed when she saw Casavir’s face among them, just as plastered and stupefied as the rest of them. She decided to put on a little show for the man, to give him something to think about when he was alone.

She spun on her toe, allowing her very short dress to rise up and down with each precise step, ignoring the leering, wolf whistles and catcalls from the other men as she kept her sparkling green eyes locked with his pale grey. This show was for Casavir and Casavir alone and she wanted him to know it. She hadn’t performed ballet in a long time but decided to try a few old moves she once knew as she danced across the stage in sweeping patterns before rising up on one foot and spun in a circle, all while continuing to saw at the strings on her arm, hitting each note perfectly.

She danced back and forth like this weaving her way seamlessly around the other playing pirates and matched Jack’s grin with her own for just a moment as she turned back around and met Casavir’s gaze again just as her song finished, she threw her hands up, holding the violin and bow up and took a quick bow as the few people there cheered her on. She was surprised to see even Jarl Ulfric standing and clapping loudly from his seat in the theater box.

[ **_Barrels of Whiskey_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N8LJ7D6pZU)

As Jack and his shanty men started up another tune Rona stepped down from the stage, putting the violin aside and walked up to Casavir. His eyes were still following her and his mouth was parted slightly. She looked sheepishly up at him, blushing a little and asked, “Um… was it alright? It wasn’t off-key was it? I am a little tipsy-“

In that moment he took a single stride forward and leaned forward, grasping her roughly by the waist with one hand while his other cupped her head in hand and he tenderly caressed her cheek with his thumb. He spoke low, his voice dripping with desire, “It was wonderful. You’re wonderful Rona.”

He leaned in, seizing the moment as her face flushed red at his words and he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with intense fervor. When she felt his tongue slip between her lips, coiling with her own, her entire body broke out into goosebumps and her lower half twitched with a needful ache. He pulled her tighter in his arms and she let him, wanting nothing more than to kiss this man for eternity. He tasted good, like snowberry tea, very sweet and a little bitter, although there was a hint of rum on his breath from his earlier drinking.

She clutched at the metal pauldrons on his broad shoulders, pulling herself closer to him as she returned the passion, nipping his lips. She was startled when his hand started roaming down the chiffon of her dress and groped at her rear. She pulled back from his mouth, gasping and said, "Casavir!"

This seemed to snap him out of it for a moment and he looked worriedly at her. Then Bishop and Eroeh danced by in a fiery waltz and Bishop, snickering like an idiot shouted over the music, "You just gonna let her get away!?"

Casavir looked back at him scowling, but Rona had other plans. She grasped his hand and pulled him along with her off the dance floor and out of the theater. They both passed by Jarl Ulfric who was looking on with amused interest at Jack.

The Jarl stepped up to the stage with his steward at his side while Jack continued to slam on his guitar with wild abandon and he looked right at the Jarl and gave him a toothy grin shouting, "My Jarl! To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Jarl Ulfric chuckled and said, "I should be asking you that, Jack, after all it is my castle and my theater you've gone and vandalized."

Jack glanced around like he wasn't entirely sure where he was in that moment and then said, "Aye! So it is I see."

"I also recall banning you from my city after the incident with the uh... working girls and that fruit stand you set up."

Jack sniffed a bit and pointed a finger at the side of his head said with a laugh, "Can't recall that one! I suppose I was mighty potted at the time."

"Yes, you were," Jarl Ulfric drawled, "Surprisingly, even more than now."

"Hehe," Jack chuckled nervously as he eyed several guardsman approaching from the entryway, "I don't suppose there's anything I can do to make Skyrim's finest Jarl reconsider that ban, could I?"

Ulfric turned his head slightly, eyeing his guardsmen and put a hand out, waving them down, then he looked back up at Jack and drawled, "Well you did manage to make my dull evening far more interesting. So I suppose I can lift it for now. Do try to be a little more tactful in the future if you'd like to keep it that way."

Jack gave a deep bow and said, "Oh Ulfric, ye're too kind! Too generous! You'll make a fine High King once ye win this war."

"Like I said," Ulfric replied with half-lidded eyes, "Tact, Jack."

[ **_I'm Shipping Out To Boston (Instrumental)_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u_r7aLKWi4)

The Jarl turned away from the pirate and made to leave with his steward when he spotted the only two dancers among the rest of the drunken rabble. As they swept by he stopped them and asked the young woman, "Don’t I know you?"

“We met at Helgen,” Eroeh giggled as they slowed to a stop alongside the Jarl and Jorleif. “My friend and I were there when that dragon showed up. My name is Eroeh Whitepaw,” she said confidently, reaching out to shake the Jarl’s hand

Looking at her a little closer Ulfric nodded in recognition. “That we did. I’m pleased that Ralof got the two of you out safely, for Skyrim would clearly be all the more dull for your loss,” he chuckled, taking her hand momentarily before releasing her.

“Believe me, so are we,” she laughed. “How is he, though? If you don’t mind me asking. We were separated escaping the keep, and I haven’t seen or heard anything about him since. I assume if the eh… _Dragonborn_ escaped in one piece, surely he did as well, right?” she questioned anxiously, hoping her friend had survived.

“Ralof has actually been promoted in the recent weeks for his acts of heroism at Helgen. He’s serving as one of my Lieutenant's now, and seems very pleased with the arrangement,” Ulfric chuckled. “Oh thank the Nine… I’m glad he’s doing well,” Eroeh breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that hers and Rona’s escape from their ‘guides’ hadn’t lead to their untimely demises.

“Can I ask you something, Jarl?” Eroeh questioned nervously, noticing the way Jorleif was staring her down from Ulfric’s side. “ _By all means Lady Eroeh,_ ” he said with a casual smile, meeting her gaze with his own. “Are you… _aware_ that you have a killer on the loose here in Windhelm? According to Commander Yrsarald, he’s already claimed one woman’s life for sure, and made an attempt on my companion just earlier this evening. At least until he realized she wasn’t a full-blooded Nord.”

Jorleif was turning different shades of red and violet, absolutely furious that Eroeh’d gone over his head after he’d told her to back off. “Yes, I am aware. I’ve _also_ been told that the city guard was investigating the matter,” he said irritably, glaring towards his steward with narrowed forest green eyes. “ _They are_ , my Jarl. But resources are scarce, and the killer is cunning. I assure you we are doing all we can to find the Butcher,” Jorleif stammered nervously, trying to hold his ground.

“Not quite,” Eroeh interjected. “If it isn’t too much to ask, I would like to request your permission to hunt down the Butcher, Jarl Ulfric. With _help_ from the city guards if need be, rather than their hindrance,” Eroeh asked, steadfast as she kept her pale hazel green eyes locked on his.

“You are aware of the risks, I assume? This is not something to be taken so lightly,” Ulfric warned, raising a curious eyebrow at the little Bosmer. “No offense Jarl, but we’ve taken down dragons. We can handle one little person,” Eroeh said with a cocky smirk that drew up into her freckled cheek with a dimple.

“Is that so?” Ulfric asked with piqued interest, his attention thoroughly held by the little elf.

Pulling on the thin string of black leather she’d been wearing around her neck under her Amulet of Mara, she flashed the bright blue iridescent scale she’d pried from Mirmulnir’s throat. “From the one at the Western Watchtower back in Whiterun,” she explained proudly.

“While your precious _‘Dragonborn’_ was cowering inside the tower, my companions and I were in the thick of things, helping take the beast out with the rest of the guardsmen who’d been sent to slay it. Ask any one of those men, or even Jarl Balgruuf himself if you must- they’ll tell you the same thing,” Eroeh chuckled, looking back across the theater towards Thurp, who was busy trying to dodge the rotten produce and ruined pastries being thrown by Jack’s crewmen.

“We also took out the one nesting on Mount Anthor, just a day’s ride from **_your_** beloved city,” She explained, raising a knowing eyebrow in his direction. “I must admit that is quite impressive, Lady Eroeh,” Ulfric chuckled. “If you truly believe you are up to the task, then you shall my full support. I’ll be sure to inform Commander Thrice-Pierced before I retire for the evening.”

“You also have my sincerest apologies, as it seems your previous attempt to seek aid did not go so _diplomatically_ ,” he finished with a slight growl in Jorleif’s direction. “Thank you my Jarl, you will not regret this,” Eroeh said with a low curtsy, placing the hand that wasn’t holding her skirt over her heart in sincerity.

As Ulfric and his party carried on past them, Eroeh caught Jorleif looking back in her direction, and childishly stuck her tongue out at him with a smug grin.

Once they were safely out of view, Eroeh darted over towards the flipped refreshment tables, grabbing as many bottles of Colovian Brandy and Shadowbanish Wine she and Bishop could carry.

“Do you really need all of this, Ladyship?” Bishop asked, chuckling as she used the spare fabric of her skirt to help hold the bottles. “ _Nope_ , but it never hurts to stash them for later. Rona will be happy to see the wine, and I for one will be glad to have more brandy for the road!” she laughed, bumping the ranger playfully with her shoulder.

“ _OH YEAH!_ ” she gasped, turning back around and darting for the stage. “Almost forgot something!” she giggled like a maniac, reaching over the still downed Alec on the ground. “I’ll be taking this!” she chirped, reaching down and swiping his ridiculous hat from the floor with her free hand.

Patting it a few times against her hip, she daintily placed the feathered hat on her head and made her way across the floor back to Bishop, who was shaking his head in what looked like a mix of amusement and shame with his arms full of bottles. “You’re such a fucking weirdo,” he chuckled, walking alongside her out the theater doors as they headed back towards the Inn.

“ _I know,_ but you love it,” she shrugged simply in response with a grin, excited about her new hat.


	19. Almost Sex

**Setting: Candlehearth Hall**

Casavir and Rona stepped back into the inn from the freezing cold outside. She loved the fur cloak Samael gave her because it worked wonders at keeping her perfectly warm and insulated. She was feeling a little too warm, however, from her earlier kiss with Casavir. She wasn't entirely sure what would happen then, but she knew what she **_wanted_** to happen.

She kept her hand tightly gripped with his and continued to pull him along with her towards one of their rented rooms. They went into the boys' room, and she was surprised when Casavir shut and locked the door behind them. She looked up at him, as he stood nearly two feet taller looking down at her, his face flushed red with arousal and desire.

She was breathing quickly too, her chest rose and fell rhythmically as she unfastened the rose-shaped clip on her cloak, pulling it off her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor. Casavir started unfastening his armor, mindlessly casting the pieces to the floor as well. Rona sat down on one of the cushiony beds, bouncing herself and her assets a little as she did so. She really wanted this and she didn't want him to get cold feet. _Keep enticing him, keep up the tease, make him want it_ , she kept telling herself through the wine induced fog of her mind.

She kicked her white boots off and watched as Casavir removed his chest plate and the under padding, leaving him only in his smallclothes. She stood from the bed, reached up behind all the thick curls of her rosy locks, and started to undo the tie holding her tiny dress up. She pulled on the strings, drawing them apart. With that, her little mint-green dress fell to the floor at her ankles, revealing her Dremora provided pink, lacy lingerie. Casavir's breath seemed to catch in his throat at the sight of her near-nakedness. She half expected him to protest, but when he said nothing and only stared at her blushing skin, she whispered shyly with a slight turn of her head, "Casavir... you're staring."

[ **_Wicked Game_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kOwPg3beAc&list=RD11W8Um0HcGM&index=2) ****

That was all it took to break the man. In an instant he lost all lingering sense of self control and was on top of her, clutching her tightly and crushing his mouth to hers. They moaned together as their tongues entwined, and his hands- _his enormous_ , _wonderful_ _hands_ started to touch and explore every inch of her body. He clutched and kneaded her breasts with one hand while the other curled and cupped at her rear through the thin fabric of her panties. It felt amazing, and only in those brief half seconds when their mouths were not closed around each other she was gasping, "Casavir! Oh Cas!"

Rona couldn't help herself either, taking the opportunity to run her hands up under his linen shirt where she felt all across his sculpted abdomen, her fingers grazing a light fuzz underneath. When she struggled to move her hands under his clothes however, he reluctantly pulled his grip away from her ass and breasts, nearly ripping his shirt off as he pulled it over his head and threw it to the side. Rona quickly did the same with her bra, yanking it off of herself and freeing her breasts.

" _Mara's mercy_ ," Casavir breathed before he pushed her down onto the bed, burying his face into her chest and leaving her giggling at first as he nuzzled his face so contentedly between her soft, supple mounds. Then he started to plant delicate kisses all over her breasts, leaving her gasping with pleasure at the unfamiliar but exciting sensation. No one else had ever touched her there before, and it was mind-numbing. Then his lips and tongue found one of her nipples, and the teasing, sucking, and light flicking from his tongue set her senses alight, making her moan loudly at the feeling.

One of his large hands was gripping the breast unoccupied by his mouth, while the other was steadily smoothing across her skin, grazing over her navel and grasping at her thigh. She felt his fingers slide under her panties and she yelped with pleasure as he simultaneously took a nipple gently between his teeth and roughly pressed his middle finger to her swollen clit. The sensation was electrifying as he began to knead her in that one spot between her legs with just that large finger, and used his other hand to lightly pinch and pull at her nipple.

"Cas! Oh please! Ah!" She thrust her head back as she felt another shock of pleasure shudder through her. With his mouth still on her breast he looked up at her and she looked down, gazing back into his darkened eyes. There was a change in him. This was a side of the man she'd never seen before. He had become a confident and lust-drunk rogue, intent on having his way with her.

He stopped his assault on her aching clit and pulled away from her chest, standing back up and leaving her sighing with disappointment that he was no longer stimulating her. She got a better look at him like this, though. He was completely bare-chested, and she admired his hardened figure and meticulously sculpted muscles. She loved the way each curve, bump and ridge on his body wove together, and how he had just enough dark hair across his arms and chest to illustrate his masculinity.

Her eyes followed the trail of hair leading downward and they rested on the center of his trousers where the form of his clearly engorged cock was outlined. Her breathing quickened as she watched his thumbs hook into the waistband at his sides and he pulled his pants down, letting them fall to the floor as he gave her full visual access to the firm shaft of his erect cock, and the swollen roundness of his testicles. Rona sucked in a breath and thought, _Oh gods, he's going to rip me in half_.

Casavir moved forward again, pushing himself between her knees when she gasped, putting her hands to his chest. "Wait... let me... let me touch you. I want to touch you. Please?" She wanted to familiarize herself first with the greatsword bobbing between his legs before she allowed him to impale her on it.

He gulped hard at her request. "Yes, of course my lady.”

She smirked at him. "Maybe we could drop the formalities for a while? You know...considering the circumstances?"

He grinned, "As you wish, Rona."

Her heart fluttered at the sound of her name without any sort of title attached to it. It made everything feel so much more genuine when he said it so simply.

He sat down on the bed beside her then, asking, "How would you like me?"

She stood, eyeing him and his manhood with a soft smile before telling him, "Lay back..."

Casavir immediately did as requested, sprawling out length-wise onto the bed and resting his head on a pillow. Rona climbed up into the bed with him, placing herself between his huge legs. She just stared at his hard member as it twitched every few moments, and began steadily dripping from the tip.

She instinctively grasped his thick shaft with both hands, enjoying the subtle groan it elicited from him. She'd never touched a man's penis before, and was amazed by how hard and yet how soft it felt in her hands. She was at a loss on what to do, having never done this before and looked to him for guidance, blushing crimson as she asked, "What should I...?"

Casavir smiled at her and wrapped one of his own hands around the both of hers, gripping them tightly, which in turn made her grip _him_ tightly.Then he slowly started to move his hand up and down, making hers move with him. She watched and felt as the skin of his shaft was pulled back and forth from top to bottom, over and over again. He sucked a breath through his nose and groaned again. She almost couldn't believe what she was doing. She was in that moment _pleasuring_ a man and she was loving every second of it, feeling her own arousal rising and a damp spot forming in her panties.

He pulled his hand away then, letting her move on her own as he groaned, "Aahh, _yesss_... Rona that's... keep moving, _please_."

She happily obliged that request and kept up a steady pace of stroking him with her hands. She started to get more bold, exploring his cock and balls vivaciously with her hands, feeling every part of him and thoroughly enjoying the light squirming and sounds of pleasure he released whenever she tried something new. Finally, he gasped, and as if he were commanding her, said " _Wrap your lips around me._ "

She looked at him and then back down at the throbbing cock in her hands. She already doubted that her small frame could take him inside, but she was almost _certain_ there was no way he'd fit in her mouth. But when he breathed a deep and needy, " _Please_ ," she couldn't help but want to try. She leaned over him, her breasts grazing his crotch as she knelt forward and pressed her lips to the soft head of his penis, lightly kissing it at first before opening her mouth and running her tongue over him. He threw his head back and begged, "This tease is killing me Rona. _Please_."

His words ignited a fire in her then, as she immediately wrapped her lips around him and started to steadily bob her head up and down his shaft, making sure to watch her teeth. He writhed beneath her and grunted out through clenched teeth, " _Oooh_ _fuck_! Yes!"

She wasn’t sure if her face could turn any redder than it already was, but between her arousal and the sound of this usually reserved man swearing, she was sure she was as bright as a ripened snowberry. Still, the way he bucked his hips and the sounds he elicited only spurred her on more. She could only take him barely halfway into her mouth - he really was enormous lengthwise and fairly thick - so she used her hands again to grip the part of his shaft that her mouth couldn’t reach. He gave a low groan of pleasure when she did that. She would have smiled if her mouth hadn’t been occupied right then.

She kept a steady pace up, sucking and licking him all up and down thoroughly, enjoying the rigidity of his cock in her mouth and the softness of his skin on her tongue. She particularly liked the sounds he made and the occasional swears he would cry out but her favorite was when he moaned her name so needfully.

“Gods Rona… Ung! It feels so good. Please don’t stop. I’m getting close.”

She pulled off of him then and he exhaled sharply, almost agonizingly and she said breathlessly, “Just a second… I have something that can help.”

He looked at her confounded for a minute until she pressed a finger to her lips and whispered an incantation. Her finger went alight and she pressed it to her tongue, sending a numbing spell down the back of her throat. Casavir’s eyes widened at her and he asked, “That was…? Was that a numbing...?”

She grinned at him and gave a small laugh then looked back at his manhood, which she was almost positive had grown even thicker and harder in that moment. With a new resolve she leaned over him and pressed her lips to his steadily drooling tip and she felt his hand curl through her hair as he took a bundle of it into his fist. She wrapped her mouth around him again and pushed downward making him resume his groaning.

Rona moaned around his thick cock and pushed down further, trying to take him into her throat. That’s when Casavir tried to help her, pushing her head down more. She pressed her hands to his thighs, gripping them as she took nearly a third of his cock into her mouth and throat. She allowed herself to swallow, pushing onward still as he watched this tiny elf woman, with stunned amazement, take his entire length down her throat to the base. With that he threw his head back and his bucking became more insistent so she started to bob faster, urging his climax onward as she swallowed him whole.

He sputtered through gasps, “Rona - it’s - I’m - ah! AH! UUUUHHHHH!”

Then she felt it, the thick pulsing of his shaft over the tip of her tongue as her mouth and throat filled with his copious load. She did her best to swallow it as it came in spurts, but that only seemed to send him reeling again and again, making him release even more. She wondered if he’d ever stop until he finally did. His entire body going limp on the bed as he fell back, exhausted from his efforts. She pulled her mouth from his softening member, some of the liquid escaping as she did so. She swallowed it all, bitter as it was, and giggled to herself wondering if that was a decades worth of pent up sexual frustration.

She wiped at her mouth and was a little disappointed to see him wilting, assuming their night of fun was over until he pushed himself up and said with a devious smirk that was so unlike him, “Your turn.”

[ **_Tonight_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11W8Um0HcGM)

She blushed and looked at his limpness then back at him questioningly and he just shook his head and leaned forward, looming over her. She fell back onto the bed then as he took the lead and began his explorations of her body anew. Once more pressing his lips to her chest, but only for a moment as he slowly kissed his way down her abdomen and over her navel while his hands caressed the swell of her hips and the roundness of her thighs. 

Finally he seemed to reach his prize, but with their difference in sizes and the smallness of the bed, it was a little difficult for him to get into a comfortable position. So instead he drew her legs up and over his shoulders, pulling her lower half up to his face as he sat cross-legged on the bed. She was still wearing those lacy panties and she felt embarrassed that he was looking at her so closely there where she knew a very damp spot had formed.

Casavir was hardly blushing at all though as he smiled at her and said, “You’re so beautiful, Rona. I want to pleasure you.” He chuckled as her face turned an even deeper shade of crimson from his words, then he focused his gaze at the spot between her legs and she was surprised when he leaned forward and pressed his tongue right into the fabric of her panties. It was a strangely lewd concept, that doing that might be even more shameful than just going right to the source, but it felt amazing too, the feeling of his tongue licking at her through the fabric sent an electric sensation through her. She gasped as he pressed his face harder into her, rubbing her with his nose and mouth.

Then without warning, she felt him pull her panties aside and his tongue slipped right into her. She gave a light cry at this entirely new sensation and he smiled as he lapped at her dripping need, pleased to know he was still a master of this, despite all his years of celibacy. He clutched at her body feeling a thin, warm film of sweat forming on her skin as she writhed and mewled under his mouth. He ran his tongue over the folds of her dripping sex and found her clit with his teeth, grazing it lightly and making her scream with delight. He felt himself already getting hard again, just from the sounds she made. 

He kept his attack up on the hardened bundle of nerves, nibbling and licking playfully and just when she might be thinking it couldn’t get any better, he began to tentatively probe her pulsating pussy with his fingers. She sucked in a breath at the feeling as he pressed two fingers in and found the sweet spot he was searching for in her tightening tunnel. He pressed hard there making her writhe and cry out, “OH! CASAVIR! AH!” He made sure to tease her there endlessly, working hard to draw out the first of what would be several climaxes that evening.

Within minutes of pleasuring both her clit and the sweet spot inside her he heard the familiar pattern of gasps that indicated a woman’s near orgasm, then her body began to shudder wildly in his hands as he kept up the tease. He watched with swelling pride as her eyes actually rolled back and she shook all over, riding the crest of her climax. She tore at the sheets and her legs curled over his shoulders, while her thighs gripped his head a little tighter. Then she released a string of, ‘Oh-oh-oh’s’ that seemed to go on for eternity, until finally her body fell limply in his arms.

He smiled down at her. She truly was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, especially like this, melted beneath him. Then her lovely green eyes met his as she said breathlessly, “I think I’m falling for you.”

He swallowed hard at that remark, not knowing how to feel about it or what to say. But he didn’t want to ruin this moment for her, this first time, so he continued to smile at her and went back to work, pleasuring her again and again, to her amazement no less.

He spent a good twenty minutes or more, bringing her to the brink and back at least three more times. On the last one, Rona stopped responding to his touch altogether. He let go of her legs, letting them drop softly onto the bed and he curled up next to her. He laughed a little realizing she’d fallen asleep, completely exhausted. He looked down at himself, still erect as ever, but resigned himself to putting that form of pleasure off for another day as his own sleepiness started to claim him. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and she welcomed it, curling into him with a soft murmur and he whispered, “I think I’m falling for you too Rona…”


	20. Actual Sex

Eroeh and Bishop made it back to the Inn in good time, both carrying armfuls, or in Eroeh’s case a skirt full, of alcohol. Making it down the hallway, they could hear the sound of heated moans coming from the ranger and paladin’s room, growing louder in volume the closer they got.

Eroeh and Bishop exchanged a knowing look with reddened cheeks, poorly attempting to conceal their laughter as they stood out in the empty hall.

[ **_Tonight_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JssXcqIDM4)

Not wanting to linger, Eroeh fished the key to hers and Rona’s room from within her bra, carefully holding her dress up with her other hand as she unlocked the door. “ _Looks like you’re bunking with **me** tonight, ranger~_” she purred, giving Bishop a saucy wink as she stepped into the room and carefully set down her load of bottles on Rona’s unoccupied bed. “ _Mmmmh,_ I like the sound of that,” he chuckled, a lupine grin spreading across his face.

Closing the heavy wooden door behind him, Bishop quickly closed the distance between them. Dropping the liquor bottles in his arms to the mattress, he lifted the little Bosmer off the ground, wrapping her legs securely around his waist.

Eroeh moaned through a bit lip as Bishop’s lips roughly marked her neck and collarbone, one delicate hand curled around the rangers back, and the other hungrily fisting his hair. The warmth of his lips and scent of his suntanned skin had her head swimming, more so than the brandy she’d been drinking that night ever could.

Moving towards a nearby wall Bishop pinned her against the wood with his hips, running one hand up her thigh and underneath her skirt. “Mmmmh _... Bishop,_ ” She purred his name, her breathing ragged as she reached for the buckles of his coat. Bishops fingers fumbled with the jacket, hastily shrugging it off his shoulders and pulling his tunic from inside his pants. Eroeh hastily grabbed at the linen shirt, yanking it over his head and grabbing desperately at the strong muscles of his shoulders.

With his shirt out of the way they locked lips once more, with Eroeh's body responding to his touch by rolling hungrily against him as he explored her mouth with his tongue. Pressing one knee against the wall for support, he let his free hand wander from her toned hips, up the sensitive side of her ribcage, and to her breast. Heatedly grasping at the covered mound, Bishop gave it a rough squeeze through the embellished fabric, wishing instead that his quarry were naked beneath him.

Feeling his hesitance, Eroeh reached both hands across her body to the bottom of the shimmering gown, quickly pulling the offending fabric over her head as she continued their heated lip-lock.

Moving his mouth back to the side of her throat and down the base of her neck, Bishop flipped down her silk brassiere, gently massaging one of her now exposed breasts and softly rolling it's hardened nipple beneath his thumb. Eroeh whimpered in delight, her hands involuntarily pulling his shoulders down towards her midsection. He complied by lifting her higher against the wall and placing her perky nipple into his mouth. Massaging the soft nub of flesh with his warm, wet tongue, he set himself to occasionally rolling the point between his teeth, taking care not to puncture the delicate skin.  
  
Bishop then switched over, giving equal attention to the other smooth mound. Shifting his stance, he used his other hand on the first for a moment before urgently gripping Eroeh by the meat of her ass and pulling her from the wall. Turning, he fell forward into the bed with her beneath him. Hastily kicking his boots off, he sat up on his knees to remove her heels while she unclasped her bra.

Now in nothing but his pants and her underwear, Bishop hovered over her, his amber eyes bloodshot and muddled from drink, yet filled with a raw determination. He’d pined for her for the last two weeks, and now, it seemed, she would finally be his to conquer.

Giving him a look of approval he slowly crawled backwards, lightly ghosting his hands over her sensitive midsection while moving further south towards his destination. Gently massaging the softness of her inner thighs and kissing the soft juncture of her toned hip, he slowly slid a calloused hand towards the wet warmth between Eroeh's legs.

Raising her muscular lower limbs to his shoulders, Bishop hooked a finger around the white sparkling cloth obstructing his path and pulled it up to her knees and over her feet, throwing the scant piece of glittery fabric onto the floor with the gown Eroeh had so eagerly discarded.

Pulling her legs back down around him, Bishop once again massaged her smooth, tanned limbs before placing his hand against the source of her burning arousal. Slowly stroking her sex, he dropped his face to her warm, wet opening, sliding his tongue slowly up the glistening folds before rolling his tongue meticulously around her swollen clit. The pressure of his tongue caused Eroeh's breathing to violently hitch as she arched her back and blindly rummaged through the sheets. She grasped at the fabric clumsily as she bit her lower lip, mewling softly behind clenched teeth.

Eroeh was by no means a stranger to oral play, but her previous lover had never been this attentive, this meticulous, this… _hot_. The thought had Eroeh's head swimming with lusty visions of what else Bishop could be capable of in the bedroom, and more than that had her excited to finally find out. She rolled her hips against Bishop’s hungry mouth as he ran his warm tongue down her sex, his tongue parting the folds as it entered her tight, dripping depths.

As his tongue slid in and out of her, he used the thumb of his free hand to roughly massage her clit. The stimulation of both overly sensitive areas had Eroeh bucking erratically against his touch, held in place by the arm wrapped firmly around her hip. Her heated moaning at his actions soon gave way to fervently crying out his name and begging him not to stop.

Removing his face from her deliciously wet warmth, he quickly replaced his tongue with a long, muscular finger, turning his hand so his thumb was still working at her swollen clit. Sliding the appendage in and out of her tight depths, Eroeh's desperate cries became impassioned shrieks of pleasure, spurring the ranger to quicken his pace.

In an attempt to muffle herself, Eroeh placed the meat of her thumb in her mouth and bit down, managing to further arouse herself through the pain. Panting through her nose and clenched jaw, she ran her fingers back through her own hair, feverishly bucking in pleasure to the touch of the man between her legs.

Bishop then added another digit to the movement; to which Eroeh's moans only intensified further. Applying more pressure to both areas, Bishop mercifully allowed her to finish before she lost her voice completely. The burning knot of pleasure tightened in her abdomen as the ranger’s pace increased, causing Eroeh’s back to raise in a high arch and her hips to buck uncontrollably against his grip as the ball unwound, releasing a supernova of pleasurable sensations and release.

As he felt Eroeh’s feminine muscles tighten around his fingers, he rubbed even harder until she cried out his name at the top of her lungs. He smiled as her sex was flooded with the sweet scent of her release, the warm liquid of her satisfaction slowly dripping down his hand.

After her muscles ceased their spasms and released their iron grip on his fingers, Bishop wiped his hand casually across the foot of the quilt. He watched in pride as Eroeh melted blissfully into the mattress and her breathing returning to its normal pace. Coming down from her climax, her hands slowly releasing the sweat-soaked sheets and pillowcases. " _That was…_ **_amazing_** ," she gasped, feeling the cool air dance against her tingling skin for the first time since their sordid escapade began.

Bishop then climbed over the pile of rumpled blankets and hovered over her, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek as a smug grin spread wide across his face. Pulling herself upright, Eroeh pressed herself against him and kissed him deeply, thinking for a moment before deciding she wanted to take over being in control. She pulled him down easily enough, his movements were getting clumsier by the moment. A full bottles worth of brandy within the last few hours had been more alcohol than he was used to in such a short time, even as a Nord.

[ **_God Is A Woman_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LluHs8WFDms)

Rolling Bishop over onto his back, Eroeh placed one hand on the pillow beside his face, the other cradling his head as she kissed the warm crook of his neck, working her way down with a mix of featherlight kisses and rough love bites before stopping at his waistline. Untying his leathers playfully with her teeth, she kissed from his navel down the sensitive trail of soft, dark hair to the juncture of his hip, slowly dragging her tongue along the length of the bulging vein running up the underside of his manhood. Bishop let out a shuddered moan at the sensation, fighting to keep his hips flat on the bed.

Eroeh ducked down onto her knees and elbows, wrapping her arms under and around Bishops hips, gripping his thighs and holding him tight to the mattress. She slowly lowered her head then, taking his thick length into her mouth.

Though she might have been a virgin, she’d had enough practice beforehand to have done this a few times; at least enough to know what worked and what didn’t. “Mmmmh… _Eroeh_ ” Bishop slurred with a desperate moan, gripping the furs with one hand and running his fingers hungrily through her hair with the other. Hearing her name pass his lips in such a way spurred her on as she swirled her soft tongue along his shaft, quickening her pace.

Dragging her hands up his thighs towards his hips, Eroeh felt him shiver at the sensation, and looked up to see him biting his lip to stifle his impassioned noises. After all Bishop had done to her before, he was close and she knew it. The drunken flush that’d delicately colored his chiseled face before was now spreading, his breathing labored as his hands desperately clung to the pillow behind his head.

Groaning loudly, he called her name again, his body going rigid as he spent himself in her mouth. Feeling the familiar pulse, she slowed her pace, swallowing hard. Carefully raising her head, she released him from her mouth, dragging her tongue from base to tip one last time for good measure.

Looking over, she could see the sweat glistening on his forehead in the dim candlelight as he laid there breathless and red-faced before her. 

After a moment Bishop reached up, hesitating as he caught his breath. Placing his hand behind Eroeh’s neck, he pressed his forehead against hers. “You still want to do this? I can wait ‘til you’re ready if you aren’t.” he asked carefully, sitting upright in front of her. Eroeh smiled sweetly at him, unclasping the Amulet of Mara and dragonscale pendant from around her neck. “I’m ready.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice. Bishop had been pining for her since the day they’d met. He’d been kicking himself ever since for passing out on her back at the Bannered Mare, and was eager to make up for it.

[ **_Pillow Talk_ ** ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAWhPZCn-yw)

Tenderly grasping her by the shoulder, Bishop lowered her to the mattress. Grabbing ahold of her wrists, he held them on either side of her head as he hungrily took a still sensitive breast in his mouth. Eroeh gasped beneath him, writhing as he rolled her hardened nipple gently between his teeth. Moving one hand down, he massaged its waiting twin with the pad of his thumb, his manhood engorging again as he felt her trembling beneath him. Glancing up, he could see the flush spreading across her freckled cheeks and chest, and smiled as she bit her lip between moans. He laid gentle kisses against the soft skin of her chest, ghosting his hand further south towards her core and rubbing methodical circles around the sensitive bud of nerves buried beneath the white-blonde curls of her sex with the pad of his thumb. She responded by bucking against his touch, her lower half spasming erratically with every round his digit made. With every twitch came a gasp, an impassioned outcry- the sound of his name uncontrollably rolling off her tongue.

The sound of her calling out his name in that desperate plea was putting his self-control to the test. Running a finger down her already slick folds, he slowly introduced one, then shortly after, another- curling his digits upwards and rubbing with a pressure that threatened to unravel her before he had his chance. “ _Bishop…_ ” Eroeh mewled, “ _Please_.”

Pushing himself back upright he fully shucked off his leathers, finally as naked as she was beneath him. After discarding them, he positioned himself at her core, and gave her one last wary look to confirm her wishes. “ _I’m ready_.” She whispered, reaching for him. With a gentle push he was in, and after a moment to allow her to adjust to the size of him, she urged him to ease into her fully, her velvety warmth clenching around his shaft with every movement. “ _Damn, you’re tight,_ ” He groaned softly under his breath. “Are you okay?” he asked, waiting for her signal before he began slowly pumping himself within her. Her answer came in the form of a nod, her lower lip pinched between her teeth as she let out an eager breath.

Her fingers gripped his shoulders, his forearms, the sheets- anything within reach as she lost herself to the bliss that was Bishop. It had stung at first, her virgin depths unaccustomed to foreign occupation. After she’d adjusted though, the discomfort had melted into a tingling euphoria that was rapidly unravelling within her. As she neared the first precipice of orgasm, Bishop reached down with his thumb and began roughly massaging her sensitive clit once more, driving her over the edge with a cry that would embarrass her had she the mental faculties to separate the sound from the sensation. She bucked beneath him, her legs locked tight around his middle as she rode wave after wave of ecstasy, the sound and sensation of her climax spurring him into motion. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he hoisted her up into his lap, grabbing a fistful of hair from the back of her head with the other and molding his lips to hers as he buried his throbbing member deep within her trembling depths. 

With a low chuckle, Bishop ran a calloused down Eroeh’s hip to cup her ass, lifting her up. She responded by wrapping her legs tight around his waist, a heated moan escaping her lips. With one hand firmly grasping her ass and the other grasping a fistful of her hair, Eroeh moved her lips from his mouth to the warm hollow of his jaw, where she could feel his heartbeat pulsing thickest against her lips. He ground his hips upwards and further into her as he moaned her name, the sound a hoarse growl in her ear. Eroeh leaned into the sensation with a soft whine, nipping the lobe of his unguarded ear as her muscles tightened their grip on his member.

Bishop could only take so much before rolling over, laying on his back and pulling Eroeh over him with her hips straddling his. She stretched over the top of him, slowly kissing from his mouth to his throat, across the hollow of his collarbone, and down the muscles of his torso, arching her back and stroking along the length of him with her core. “ _Fuck_ , Eroeh.” Bishop gasped as her velvety warmth tightened around his throbbing manhood. He held her by the hips as she rode him, drawing her hips up and back down ‘til flesh met flesh, the tip of Bishop pressing against the end of Eroeh, bringing on a sensation that had them both fighting to control themselves. “Oh gods! _Bishop-_ ” she cried out as he thrust against her, spurring her next climax into action. Bishop fought to maintain his self-control, holding out until her trembling depths stopped spasming around him and her movement slowed.

Once she was calm enough he pulled himself from her and turned her around, sitting up and placing himself behind her with his hands on her hips. Eroeh figured what was next and flattened her chest to the bed, raising her hips to meet his. “You sure you’re new to this?” Bishop chuckled, his voice low as he slowly slipped himself inside her. “ _Just because…_ I haven’t done it myself doesn’t mean… _ah_ , that I didn’t ask for pointers.” She managed between moans. “There’s a… _ah_ , brothel in Cyrodiil that gives… _hah_ , gives me room and board from time to time in… _mmmh_ exchange for performing when I… _hah-_ pass through the Imperial City.” She struggled to say as he picked up his pace, rolling his hips as he thrust inside her, causing her to cry out again. To quiet herself, Eroeh drew a hand to her face, once again biting into the meat of her thumb.

With a devious smile Bishop wrapped an arm around her middle, drawing her up into his lap with his chest at her back. The change tightened her around him, and she threw her arms back around his head, her moans barely contained by her teeth digging into her lower lip. Bishop buried his face in the warmth of her neck, his breath and lips hot against her skin. He snaked one arm around her ribcage, his hand full of the soft flesh of her breast. His other was around the front of her hips, massaging the swollen bud of nerves that would be both of their undoing.

Writhing against his hand and grinding along the length of him she found herself drowning in the sensation of climax once more, the blissful heat burning through her as she cried out his name in a shattered gasp. Eroeh’s sudden outcry tipped the pressure building at the base of Bishop’s spine over the edge, past the point of no return. With one last thrust he spilled himself within her, his finish coming with a hoarse groan and clenched teeth, his arms wrapped tight around her as he fought to stay upright. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck as they both panted loudly, their faces flush and breath ragged. When her body relaxed around him and his stopped throbbing in release, Bishop carefully lowered her to the mattress and slid himself from her, her breathing sounding just as ragged as his own. “You okay over there, Sweetness?” he asked with a chuckle. Her response was two lazy thumbs up and a pitiful groan in the affirmative.

Bishop laughed as she rolled to face him, and he smiled as she tenderly pressed her lips to his. “I love you.” He said softly, stroking her heated cheek. “I love you too.” She panted in return as she nestled her face against his chest.


	21. A Night of Oopses

When daylight came, Bishop rose with the early morning sun, feeling more relaxed and refreshed than he had in a long time. Carefully creeping across the bed so as to not wake the little Bosmer who’d been fast asleep beside him, Bishop quickly threw on his clothes and made his way down to the cellar for a bath. Once he’d scrubbed himself clean he returned up the stairs, placing an order for breakfast and reclining at an empty table in the corner, a wide, lazy grin spread across his face as the memory of his evening replayed in his mind.

Casavir’s eyelids flickered through the haze of his throbbing head. He let out a soft sigh as he woke up and regained his bearings when he felt a warm body nuzzling against his chest and a light murmur. He looked down only to see Rona curled up tightly next to him and his own arms wrapped around her. The night before came crashing down on him like a Giant’s club as his face flushed with shame and he did everything in his power not to panic and therefore wake her. Luckily he was on the side of the bed not facing the wall and could easily slip away.

He gently pulled his arms back and untangled his long legs from her smaller ones and slipped off the bed. He exhaled a sigh of relief and went about quietly collecting his small clothes and pulled them on. That’s when he noticed Karnwyr whining at the door and said, “Oh… sorry Karnwyr. I forgot you were still in here all night.” He opened the door, letting the wolf out to wander and turned back only to see Rona’s naked form, still curled up on the sheets.

He quickly went over to her and grasped the blanket at the foot of the bed and drew it over her, giving her some modesty, although he couldn’t seem to help himself as he admired her nudity for just a moment longer before the blanket fell over her. Then shaking his head shamefully at himself he turned back and left the room, closing the door with a soft click.

 _Well worth waiting for,_ Bishop thought with a chuckle, inhaling through his nose and exhaling with a content sigh. His quiet reflection didn’t remain quiet for long though, as Casavir came groggily plodding along across the floor, eyes bloodshot and rimmed in dark circles. “Mornin' sleeping beauty,” Bishop called out with a knowing grin. “Hows that rum treating you today, sweetheart? Isn’t today just the _best day **ever?**_ ” he asked dramatically, his voice loud and mockingly effeminate.

Casavir pulled a chair up at the table and rubbed a huge hand over his face, groaning with his hangover as he glared at Bishop, “Can you please keep it down Bishop? My head can’t tolerate you and your loud declarations this early in the morning.”

“Oh please, like this is the worst shape you’ve ever been in,” the ranger scoffed, ripping a bite out of the sweetbread in front of him and washing it down with a cool gulp of milk. He watched the paladin lay his forehead against the table, and waited a moment before speaking up. “So, sounded like you and Pinkie had a good time last night~” he jeered, playfully bouncing his eyebrows at the paladin as he lifted his head from the table with a disgusted scowl.

Casavir looked right at him, dread taking him over, “What did you hear?”

“Actually Casavir, the question you should be asking, is what did we _not_ hear. Because from the sound of it, I’d say she was really giving it to you,” he snickered.

Casavir’s lip curled and he growled, “For your information nothing the likes of which you think happened.”

“Oh? No? So what then? Just had a night of dry humping then?” He smirked at Casavir, raising his brows up and down.

“You’re absolutely vile, you know that? And no, we… I…” Casavir threw a hand to his face again and groaned then started admitting everything like he was giving confession to a Priest of Stendarr, “Alright fine yes. We… disrobed and she,” he sighed, “on me… then I on her… but she passed out before… thank the gods she still has her virtue.”

“Well although that _doesn’t surprise me_ , it certainly isn’t what it **_sounded_** like,” Bishop snorted, taking another drink. “And even if you didn’t manage to close the deal, I know I sure did,” he said matter-of-factly, stretching backwards and folding his arms behind his head. “And man I gotta tell ya. I didn’t think Eroeh had it in her, but _damn…_ I haven’t had that much fun in **_ages!_** ” he sighed with a smile before breaking down into a short fit of triumphant laughter.

“Oh gods… Lady Eroeh. _Waaaiiit_ ,” he narrowed his eyes at Bishop and asked in a near whisper, “Tell me you didn’t… inside her?”

Thinking back, Bishop suddenly remembered that in the heat of the moment, he’d drunkenly forgotten to pull out, and emptied himself inside of her. “ _It’s_ _fine…_ I’m uh... I’m _pretty sure_ there was a caravan outside the city near the stables when we got here, right? I’ll just go talk to them and get it all sorted,” Bishop stammered uncomfortably. “ _Yeah…_ _that’s what I’ll do,_ ” he mumbled under his breath, mentally kicking himself for not being more careful.

“You’re a fucking idiot Bishop,” Casavir snapped at him, “You’re one of _nine_ siblings! Does that mean nothing to you!? You and your rabble of a family breed like damn rabbits! Ugh… poor Eroeh… dear gods…”

“Shut up, okay? I couldn’t help it!” Bishop hissed between clenched teeth, trying to stay quiet. “ _Gods_ Cas, you wouldn’t believe it… The way she used her _tongue_... and- _ugh_ the way she just… **_SQUEEZED_** in _all_ the right ways, it was… _gods_ , it was _fuckin **amazing!**_ ” he groaned as quietly as he could, biting his fist and throwing his head back in exhilaration.

Casavir rolled his eyes and in Bishop’s distraction grabbed the rest of his sweetbread and started eating it, hoping to mop up whatever rum was left inside him. Karnwyr whined loudly at the door, giving a huff of irritation that no one was noticing him or remembering him. Ever. Because we always forget Karnwyr. Because we’re **_assholes_**. Yeah I’m lookin’ at you bitches. You know who you are. ಠ_ಠ

“Ah hell, c’mon bud. Let’s get you outside before you piss on the floor,” Bishop sighed, patting Casavir on the shoulder before walking with the whiny russet wolf towards the nearest exit. “C’mon Cas, you’ll feel better once the cold air sharpens you up,” he called out to the hungover paladin, reaching for the door handle and letting Karnwyr outside.

Casavir shrugged, agreeing that the cold would do him some good and joined him outside.

\---

Rona rolled over in bed, groaning at the ache in her temples. When she realized her giant body pillow of a man was nowhere to be found she slowly got up and collected her clothes from the floor, not bothering with the underwear as she pulled on the tiny mint-green dress. She peered out into the hallway and, seeing that the coast was clear, quickly darted over to her shared room with Eroeh, hoping that the Ranger was not there.

She peeked in and noticed Eroeh snoozing alone on one of the beds, partially covered by the blanket with one tit gracelessly hanging out. Rona stifled a laugh and quickly went in closing the door behind her. She undressed and grabbed her usual underwear and red dress and pulled them on while taking a minute to carefully fold and put the Dremora provided clothing into her pack. Then with a giggle she went over to Eroeh and started poking her in the cheek and said sweetly, “Good morning princess.”

Eroeh opened her eyes slowly, blinking hard as her eyes adjusted to the light. “What? Hey girl, is it morning already?” she yawned, covering her mouth with one hand and drawing the blanket up over her chest as she sat upright. “Guess Bishop went back to his room... _Oh well_ ,” she shrugged, moving to hang her feet off the side of the bed.

Feeling an odd slipperiness between her legs as she moved, she frowned; groaning as the evenings events came back to her. “Pass me that white shirt, would you? I need to take a bath. I feel… _gross_ ,” she grimaced, not liking the way Rona had started looking at her.

Rona grabbed the shirt and passed it to her, cocking a brow and looking at her curiously while she tried to suppress her own excitement over the previous night’s events.

“Don’t look at me like that, Pinkie! We could hear _you two **through**_ the wall!” Eroeh squeaked, snatching the offered tunic and pulling it close against her.

Rona blushed red and plopped down on the bed next to Eroeh. “You heard us!?” She put her hands to her face and whined, “ _Oooohhh nooooo…_ ”

“More like _oh yeah_ if the sounds are to be believed. What happened? Did you two… _you know…_ ” Eroeh trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows and making a lewd motion with her hands.

“We um… we fooled around. I went down on him and oh my gods Eroeh he’s huge!” She held her arms out exaggeratingly wide and laughed, “But he was so sweet and courteous and gentle about everything. We went slow at first and I… well I erm, found a new use that numbing spell of mine,” her face burned redder than ever at evening mentioning it.

“Oh?” the little Bosmer giggled. “I guess you'll really need to teach me that one, then. So,” she started, grinning mischievously, “Did you swallow?”

 _“Yesss I did_ ,” Rona groaned through her smirking, “But afterward he went down on me and oh my gods. For a man who’s been celibate for so damn long he sure as shit knows what he’s doing! I think after the fourth time I came I just… well I was so drunk and tired from it all that I completely passed out. Sooo… looks like I’m still a virgin…”

“Aww that's just unfortunate. I mean, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself though. And kudos to him for knowing how to treat a lady, I wasn't expecting _that!_ ” Eroeh snorted.

“Oh shush,” she said nudging her friend in the shoulder, “I see you spent the night with the Ranger? _How’d that gooo?_ ” Rona gave her a smarmy smirk and wiggled an eyebrow.

“Look I enjoyed myself, and Bishop _sure as hell_ enjoyed **_himself_**. We’re finally to an understanding with each other, Rona… we just… kinda had to have the discussion naked… while he was inside of me… and _without actual words AND OKAY **FINE** WE DID IT AND IT WAS FUCKING **AWESOME!**_ ” the little Bosmer shrieked giddily, throwing her head back and letting out a long, excited groan. “I _reeeeeeeally_ like him Rona, and _last night_ … last night he said he **_loved_** me. _AND **I** SAID IT **BACK!**_ _UGH What do I dooooooooooo?!_ ” She whined, burying her face in the soft cloth of the tunic and groaning in exasperation.

“Aw,” Rona smiled at her, “That’s actually really sweet. Who knew Sir-Grumps-A-Lot could actually be so nice? Although he was really kind to me last night when you two left to speak to the guards about what happened. I honestly couldn’t believe it at first, but he actually tried to cheer me up a little,” Rona turned to the Bosmer and grasped her hands and said sincerely, “I’m really happy for you, Eroeh. And if he makes you happy that’s all that really matters, you know? And as insufferable as he can be sometimes, I think… well he’s actually a really good person. I can see how much he cares about you.”

She stopped and thought for a moment with a soft smile. “When you got hurt just outside Nightgate Inn, Bishop wouldn’t leave your side for a second. I think he’d jump in front of a dragon again and again for you. You’re really lucky.”

“You really think so?” Eroeh asked with a dreamy sigh, sliding the oversized billowy shirt over her head, completely drowning in the soft fabric.. “I don’t wanna get all mushy, but… I really am glad I met you guys.” Eroeh smiled, reaching over and drawing Rona into an appreciative embrace.

Rona pulled away from their hug and she laughed, saying, “Now if I can just get Casavir to look at me the way he did last night again… only this time _without_ the aid of alcohol,” she blushed, “I… I told him that I’m falling for him. Ugh,” she pressed her face into her hands again, “Would it even work with us? Would he even want to stay with me after sleeping with me? I mean… he’s still a Paladin and he still has his responsibilities to his Guild and his vows,” she sighed, “What am I even doing with this man?”

“I don’t really know about all of that, but what matters is that all our cards are on the table now, right?” Eroeh asked uneasily, standing up from the bed to dig through her pack for the leather binder of her tavern dress, and her bottle of lavender oil. Taking a deep breath, she clutched the binder and bottle to her chest, and started towards the door. “I’m gonna go hop in the tub for a minute, wanna come with?” she asked, looking back at her Altmer companion and grabbing the door handle.

“Yeah actually,” she said taking a whiff of herself and laughing, “I think I could use a bath too.” Rona stood and followed her friend to the bathing cellar.

** Setting ** **: Windhelm**

Bishop and Casavir both took in the bitter, fresh cold outside air while Karnwyr plod along, sniffing around looking for the best place to relieve himself. They both idly followed the wolf around the inn, stretching their legs and Casavir said, “It’s a bit odd isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Doing this together. Taking your wolf out and just… walking, like we used to do.”

Bishop glanced over at the Paladin and snorted a laugh, “Yeah only this time you don’t have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth, and you’re not regaling me with tales of your night of _domination_.”

Casavir blushed red at that remark and said, “I gave it all up. I didn’t want to be that man anymore. Although I’ll admit I miss smoking from time to time.”

Bishop shook his head with a smirk, “That’s all you miss? Because from the way things were going last night-”

“ _That was a mistake,_ ” Casavir said furiously, “A mistake I _won’t_ make again. I lost my head. I… I started drinking again and…”

“I don’t see what’s so bad about it,” Bishop frowned at him, “Rona’s a nice girl- well, nice enough to you and Eroeh at least.”

“That’s because she knows _you’re_ a scoundrel,” Casavir smirked at him.

Bishop rolled his eyes, “Right, well... she likes you Cas, which should be obvious by now. It’s kind of pathetic seeing you like this - this _thing_ you’ve become. You used to be a lot more _fun_. Now you’re just… _bleh_.” He waved a hand to all of Casavir, and the Paladin scowled harshly at him in return.

“Did you just gesture to _all of me?_ ”

“Yeah,” Bishop laughed, “I did.”

“At least I’m not… I’m not a _bandit_ anymore. I’m not someone who would hurt another person,” he said knitting his brows together, remembering some of the worst of his dark past.

“Oh and what I am?” Casavir glanced over at him and Bishop said, “I gave it up too, you know. But I didn’t run off to try and suppress who I really am either. So yeah, I may be a scoundrel sure, but I’d never hurt anyone like back then. Not Eroeh _or_ Rona. I hope you know that,” he gave Casavir a fierce glare, challenging him to state otherwise.

Casavir smiled, “I know you wouldn’t. You’re right. I see how you’ve changed Bishop. I just never believed I could do it myself, not without help and after what happened. I was so _angry_. I carried all of that anger inside for a long time, ready to lash out and hurt someone at any moment.”

Bishop rolled his eyes again, “Cas you were _always_ hot-headed,” then he sighed, “But I guess if being this fucking wet-blanket you are now helped you, then whatever, good for you I guess.”

Casavir smirked and shook his head, taking Bishop’s remark for the hidden kindness it was. The two continued their walk, still following the wolf who rounded down the stairs towards the city cemetery and Bishop called, “Come on Karnwyr, hurry up and find a place to piss already.”

Then they both heard a blood-curdling shriek and glanced at one another for a moment then quickly kicked off the ground and rushed into the cemetery. They were greeted by the sight of a beggar screaming her head off, her hands held up to her chest in fright as she stared at the mutilated corpse of a nude woman on the ground.

“Oh fuck,” Bishop muttered.

“Mara’s Mercy!” Casavir gaped.

\---

A short while later Eroeh and Rona emerged from the cellar, having thoroughly scrubbed all traces of the previous night’s escapades from their skin. Upon reaching the top of the cellar stairs, they were greeted by the sight of their companions posted up in the hallway. Bishop was leaning against their door frame, arms folded across his chest as he furrowed his brows deep in thought. Casavir however was anxiously pacing circles in the hall, with one arm laid across his middle and the thumbnail of the other hand held firmly between his teeth.

Karnwyr noticed the girls first. With an excited yip he trotted over to the stairs, his tail wagging and tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth as he excitedly awaited their attention. Without hesitation, Eroeh set to scratching him behind the ears and ruffling the coarse fur of his cheeks. Before either of the girls could ask what was wrong, Bishop snapped out of whatever thought he was in and made his way to them at the top of the stairs, throwing the barely dressed Bosmer over his shoulder and guiding Rona back towards their room with his unoccupied arm.

“Alright ladies, we’re gettin the fuck out of here!” he grunted as Eroeh wriggled in his grip. “ _What? **The hell we are!**_ What’s going on, Bishop?” the little elf growled as she tried to squirm loose. “ _Doesn’t matter._ The point is we’re getting the hell out of this frozen dump heap. Now c’mon Eroeh, we’re leaving right now, even if that means I have to dress you _myself!_ ” he grunted, holding her tight against his shoulder.

Finally wriggling free of Bishop’s grip Eroeh clutched her shirt and binder closer against her, backing out of the ranger’s grasp. “ _What. Is. Going. On?_ ” she asked, cutting her eyes at their two male companions. The two men shared an uneasy look between them before the paladin broke the silence.

“There’s been another attack, my lady. This one was unfortunately successful. The serving girl, Susanna, was the victim.” Casavir said solemnly, placing a protective hand on Rona’s shoulder.

“Oh gods… Susanna…” Eroeh muttered, bringing her hand to her face as the news set in. “When?” she asked, looking to Casavir.

“Just a short while ago, my lady. A beggar woman, _Silda_ , was the one who found her,” he explained.

“We were walking Karnwyr when we heard her screaming her lungs out over in the cemetery. She didn’t see any of it go down, but there’s a shopkeeper, Calixto or something claiming he saw a guy running off. Didn’t get a good look at him though,” Bishop groaned, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Susanna was a _good_ girl,” Eroeh sighed through gritted teeth. “She was always kind to me, and was one of the few decent people in this shithole of a city,” she sighed, trying to regain her level-headedness. “This guy’s already gone after **_Rona_** , Bishop… and isn’t showing any signs of stopping. We need to **_do_** something.”

Meeting the ranger’s gaze she could see that a switch had flipped inside him, and that the charming, carefree Bishop had given way to a hard, uncompromising protector, unwavering in his decision to get them out of the city. “No, we _don’t_. And we _aren’t_ ,” he growled, his voice low and eyes hard.

“There’s no winning this... is there?” Eroeh asked after a moment of silence between them.

“No, there isn’t.”

“ _Fine,_ ” Eroeh sighed, shrugging in resignation with an irritated pout. “Spoil all the fun why don’t you,” Eroeh sighed as she walked past him, reaching up and ruffling his hair as she did.

“Someone’s gotta keep that fine ass of yours alive and in line. It might as well be me,” the ranger griped back, getting comfortable as he waited on the two elves to get changed and ready to leave.

Rona went into her shared room with Eroeh and joined her in getting dressed and packed. As bad as she felt for the serving girl who’d been murdered she was grateful to be leaving after nearly being murdered herself the day before.

The two of them finished packing up and met their companions just outside the inn. 

Rona looked to Eroeh then and asked, “So, where to next?” She glanced up at the sky which was flecked with gently falling snowflakes and shivered, “Maybe we can get out of this snow for a change?”

“Hmm…” Eroeh frowned, holding her chin between her thumb and forefinger. “I dunno. There are plenty of Giant’s camps down south of here we could hit up. Most of them are out in Whiterun Hold, though… Maybe we could head out that way and see about gathering that stuff for Nurelion?” she mused, looking to her companions for any ideas.

Bishop simply rolled his eyes as he looked into the distance and Casavir gave a vague shrug. He didn’t care where they went to be honest. He was just grateful to remain in their company.

** Setting ** **: Windhelm Stables**

As the group headed out of the gates and towards the stables they noticed a Khajiit caravan set up nearby. An orange and striped Khajiit fellow was calling out to the passersby, “Come closer travelers and see, Ma’dran has wares if you have coin!”

Bishop stopped a moment, grasping Eroeh by the arm and said with relief, “Oh thank the gods. We uh, need to make a quick pit stop over at the caravan.”

Casavir crossed his arms and rolled his eyes as Bishop gave him a roguish grin and led Eroeh away with him.

Rona glanced at his quiver, noticing it was still pretty full and asked, “I wonder what he needs to buy.”

Casavir huffed and said, “He’s a damn scoundrel my lady, isn’t it obvious?”

Rona looked up at Casavir questioningly and he looked back at her. Both their faces started to turn red realizing they hadn’t spoken about the night before. Rona quickly turned away and Casavir put a hand to his mouth, clearing his throat, muttering, “I suppose I have no room to speak of scoundrels after… after last night my lady. I apologize.”

Rona snorted a laugh and looked back at him, “Don’t apologize. It was fun. Although I suppose if anyone should apologize it should be me...”

He raised his brows at her and asked, “Whatever for?”

“You broke your vows because of me.”

“Oh,” he mumbled, running a hand over the back of his neck, “Please don’t worry about it my lady. Truly, I am the one at fault for that. I lost my head last night… I broke quite a few vows actually. I promise it won’t ever happen again.”

She gave him a sad look and said, “Oh…that bad then?”

“What?” He nearly snapped his neck, throwing his hands out, “No! Not at all! You were - amazing! It was amazing! It’s just… I…”

She smirked at him, blushing a little more and said, “Let’s not worry about it. Whatever happens, happens.”

She started to walk away from him, moving along to meet up with Eroeh and Bishop who appeared to be finished with their shopping. Casavir watched her go and found his eyes traveling down to the swell of her hips as the previous nights events flashed into his mind’s eye.

He took a sharp breath, quickly turning his gaze away from her and breathed, “Mara have mercy on me… this is difficult.” He swallowed hard and hurried along after her.

“Ah, hello humble travelers. Ma’dran has wares for all sorts,” the Khajiit welcomed as Bishop and Eroeh came closer. “Are you after anything in particular perhaps? This one has weapons, jewelry, potions, and other assorted baubles for sale. Perhaps a gift for the lady?”

Eroeh gave the merchant a soft smile before looking over at Bishop, who was shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Ma’dran raised an eyebrow at this and looked back to the little Bosmer who just shrugged. “I wasn’t looking to buy anything in particular, but my companion here is.”

With a sigh, Bishop walked over to the Khajiit, muttering something indiscernible in his ear before the cat’s eyes went wide. “Ah, I see. Yes, this one believes he has a few bottles around here somewhere. Just one moment,” he grinned, reaching behind him into a neatly packed crate of bottles.

“What’d you ask him for?” Eroeh asked innocently, raising an eyebrow at the very uncomfortable ranger. “I’ll explain later… when it’s just us,” he mumbled in response, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine, keep your secrets then…” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Here they are, how many bottles do you need?” Ma’dran asked, his hand hovering over three glass vials in the crate. “Just the one,” Bishop responded all too quickly before looking back at their companions. “Better yet let’s play it safe and make it two,” he chuckled, pulling out his coin purse. “Very well then, this one thanks you for your business,” he said with a gracious smile.

Thinking for a moment, the Khajiit’s ears perked up and he took Eroeh gently by the hand as he suddenly remembered something. “Before you go, Ma’dran has a message for you, kind lady. The red man with the funny accent asked Ma’dran to send you to Riften if he was to see you. Urgent business, so he says.”

Eroeh sighed heavily but gave the man a smile, thanking him before Bishop took her by the arm and led her back to their companions.

Rona and Casavir caught up with the two of them and there was an unusual exchange of facial expressions between Bishop and Casavir for a moment. Both girls just rolled their eyes, thinking it was just the two bickering in their own way.


	22. Oh Not This Clown Again

**Setting: Eastmarch Geyser Fields, outskirts of Kynesgrove**

They collected their steeds and headed south towards Riften. Eroeh told them that there was a giant’s camp on the way that they could raid for the ground mammoth tusk powder Nurelion needed. They rode for some time, arriving at a dusky plateau strewn with hot springs. Rona stared in awe as a geyser exploded from the ground a short distance away from them. 

She was startled though, when another burst a little too close for comfort near them and nearly leapt out of her saddle as Karinda whinnied, getting as anxious as her rider.

“Whoa!” Rona cried.

Casavir chuckled, reaching over and grasping Karinda’s reins, steadying the mare for her. “Have you never seen a geyser before Lady Rona?”

“No, we don’t have anything like this in Cyrodiil.”

“Looks like a nice place to rest,” Bishop said smirking at Eroeh, “Whaddya say we make camp and take a dip in the hot springs?”

“You want to stop. Here. In the middle of a geyser field full of wolves, skeevers, and giants. Are you fucking crazy?” Eroeh questioned, raising an eyebrow at him before the bellowing of a dragon could be heard nearby. “And dragons. Who could forget the fucking _dragons_.”

“Can’t blame a guy for tryin,” Bishop chuckled in response, reaching for his bow. “Who’d have thought one of those flying lizards would be out and about trying to foil my plans...” he grumbled under his breath with an irritated sigh.

Rona and Casavir both drew their own weapons and the paladin suggested, “Let’s be careful and move on. Perhaps if we don’t disturb its nest-”

But they were immediately distracted by a distinctly loud and rattling belch coming from across the plains. They all looked out over the hot springs and saw the tiny form of a man who appeared to be running and shrieking for his life as a dragon barrelled through the skies after him - _aiming right for them!_

“Is that-?” Rona gaped.

“Are you fucking serious?” Bishop scoffed.

“How did he get here so quickly?” Casavir wondered.

“Oh for fuck’s sake…” Eroeh groaned, running a hand down her face. “Looks like the idiot is at it again. Should we help him?” she asked, looking to her friends and hoping for a unanimous _‘no’_.

Rona’s eyes widened as the idiotic Nord man continued rushing towards them and she shrieked, “NO CHOICE NOW! HERE IT COMES!”

They all darted out of the way, yanking their steeds into various directions as Thurp tripped all over his chicken legs right into a hot spring and the dragon released a roaring wave of fire that splashed across the dry ground and heated the hot springs to a near boiling point.

Eroeh guided Smoke across the narrow paths between the springs, careful to keep her wily mare out of the deceptively deep pools. Getting her horse a safe enough distance away she quickly dismounted, slapping Smoke on the ass with a shout to send her as far away as she could get her. With a sharp whistle Karnwyr followed suit, keeping close to the horses.

Running back towards the dragon, she let out a shrill warcry to get its attention off of the bumbling blonde Nord. Bishop watched from a distance as the dragon whipped his head towards her, letting out a guttural hiss and a growl.

Hauling ass as fast as he could across the geyser field, he drew his bow and took a shot, his arrow so hastily fired that it missed where he’d been aiming and simply skimmed across the beast’s snout. With a flare of its nostrils and a shake of its head, the dragon then turned towards the new annoyance and bellowed out a gut-wrenching roar of fury.

Irritated at now being ignored, Eroeh held her hands out, focusing on the surplus of moisture in the air around her and crystallizing the condensation into large icy shards. Her eyes began to glow a brilliant white as she forced the shards to condense tighter together into a singular large spear, and with an outcry she fired the shard right towards the dragon.

In a bout of sheer bad luck Casavir called out then, banging on his chest plate to make noise and pulling the beasts attention off of Bishop. With it’s sudden shift in direction, Eroeh’s ice spike missed the back of the dragons head, and instead shot straight into the meat of its ass. With an angry shriek Eroeh got her wish, and it turned towards her, a new singularly burning hatred in its eyes. “ _Oh shit-_ ” she hissed, running for the nearest semblance of cover she could.

Rona left her mare a safe distance away and rushed over to the pathetic Dragonborn who appeared to be drowning in the hot spring as he wailed and splashed around. She jumped into the knee deep water, holding her bow and an arrow in hand and shouted, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? HELP US!”

He ceased splashing around and rolled over on his ass looking up at her, absolutely mortified. 

“YOU’RE THE DRAGONBORN!” She roared furiously, “TAKE IT DOWN! USE YOUR VOICE!”

He sputtered, “I-I don’t know how!”

Rona made an angry grumbling noise of frustration and looked out at the plains where the dragon was currently bearing down on Eroeh. She grabbed him by the arm and yanked him up, dragging the huge Nord along with her, using a strength that was surprising even for her. “You are going to yell _or - or **BURP**_ that damn thing out of the sky - _so help me!_ ”

He started to dig his heels into the ground, trying to resist her dragging him along to no avail. She yanked on his arm and jabbed a finger forward, pointing right at the beast and glared at him, “DO IT NOW! SHOUT IT DOWN!”

He gulped and started twiddling his thumbs together, looking like a complete fool and Rona growled in irritation, “USELESS!” She raised her bow, aiming for the dragon and started firing arrow after arrow at it as she watched Eroeh belting over the plains, leaping over rocks and logs and covering her head from the impending fire storm that was sure to hit her. Meanwhile Bishop was attempting to get to her while Casavir lagged behind, huffing and struggling to keep up in his armor.

Rona’s arrows managed to bite at the creature’s hide, but her best shot narrowly missed its eye, shunting into the meat above it, making it shriek and hiss angrily. It flapped backward for a moment shaking its head and then looked out to where the culprit stood. It caught sight of the furious little Altmer and turned its attention towards her.

Thurp made to run when Rona grabbed him hard by the collar, yanking him down to her height and snarled in his face, “ _YOU WILL SHOUT IT DOWN. NOW.”_

Thurp gulped hard again unsure whether to be more afraid of the tiny woman or the dragon. He seemed to decide the former was far more dangerous as he stood upright and planted his feet firmly on the ground and took in a deep breath. 

“Wait for it,” Rona said, watching as the dragon swooped in, lowering itself to the ground, preparing to shout, then she roared, “NOW!”

Thurp puffed out his chest and lurched his upper body forward and released the most god-awful, gnarly, belch Rona had ever heard, which somehow sounded like the word, “ ** _FUS!_** ”

A wave of power burst forth from his lungs and hit the dragon square in the face, knocking it out of the air and sending it reeling across the plains and right into a hot spring. Rona tossed her bow aside and drew her swords, muttering, “ _Fucking finally_ ,” before she sprint off the ground aiming for it.

Eroeh watched as the topheavy Nord knocked the dragon back, confused as to just how he managed to belch and have the shout still work. Unsheathing the daggers at her thighs, she bolted towards the downed beast to try and assist her tiny pink companion in whatever way she could.

Bishop skid across the ground slightly as he came to an abrupt halt, changing direction to give the girls backup. Bound and determined to make up for the fight at Mount Anthor, he resigned himself to giving this one his all.

Casavir let out a pained groan as he lumbered to a halt and turned their way, red in the face and running out of breath after running so hard in his heavy armor. Maybe they were right to wear leather opposed to plate. It certainly seemed an easier material to run in.

“Rona!” Eroeh called out as she caught up, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Time to have some real fun!”

Rona smirked at her companion and joined her in racing straight for the beast, two tiny terrors on a rampage.

Bolting for the downed dragon, Eroeh was frustrated to find that she couldn’t get a sturdy grip on its slick, wet scales, and growled as she settled for slicing its wings full of holes. 

Rona joined her, leaping onto the creature and attempted to hang on as it writhed around, screeching at them, attempting to throw them from its body. She started to bury her blades into its hide and wings, using them for leverage to hold on.

Bishop caught up to them and started pelting the dragon with arrows, turning the beast’s scaly hide into a macabre pincushion of sorts with a lupine grin.

With a furious roar the dragon turned his attention to the ranger, drawing in a deep breath as he readied himself to shout the nuisance down. Eroeh made a beeline for Bishop, knocking him to the ground and kneeling on all fours over him as she threw up a ward. The heat of the dragon’s flame washed over them, the fire burned through the ward and seeped through the back of her jacket as she winced in pain and grit her teeth. 

Rona was still digging a blade into its back as Casavir finally managed to catch up to them, looking sweaty and breathless. When she yanked her sword out and made to plunge it back in once more the dragon reared back, throwing her right off its slippery hide and sending her flying through the air.

Casavir, in a panic threw his arms out and cried, “I’ll catch you my lady!”

She collided with him, sending them both skidding across the dusty ground. Rona groaned and mumbled, “ _Ooowww_ … that was not a very cushiony landing Casavir.”

He pushed himself off the ground and replied with a groan of his own, “Yes, so I’ve realized...”

Rona was surprised then to see Gustav Thurp approach them, his whole body shaking all over, but he looked at the creature and clenched his fists. Just as it turned and prepared to roar another blast of flames at them Thurp lurched forward, belching another incredible shout at the dragon, blasting it through the hot springs and into a dead tree.

Rona smirked and said, “Nice one Dragonborn!” He smiled at her, clearly a little prouder of himself and his own sudden bravery. She pushed herself off of Casavir and picked up one of her stray blades, still sitting on the ground. Casavir stood as well and drew his greatsword from his back. Eroeh and Bishop ran over to them, regrouping and Rona said, “Let’s kill this thing already.”

“I have to agree with the Lady Rona,” Casavir said glancing at Bishop, “What do you say, ranger?”

Bishop smirked and nocked an arrow to his bow, “I say let’s go kill us a dragon.”

Casavir burst forward shouting, “I’ll cover you ladies!”

Rona and Eroeh exchanged a mischievous glance and ran after him, their weapons drawn, rarin’ and ready to go.

Bishop looked over at Thurp and said, “Stay close to me and get ready to fucking burp or whatever the fuck it is you do, alright!?”

Thurp nodded and followed close behind the ranger.

Following a few paces behind the paladin, Rona shouted at Eroeh, “Toss me your bow! I have an idea!”

Grinning, Eroeh unclipped her bow from chest and shrugged it off tossing it over to the little Altmer and rolling her shoulders as she adjusted to the freedom of movement.

“Use him for leverage and go high! Bring your blades down hard!” Rona shouted pointing at Casavir’s back as he chugged along ahead of them.

Eroeh’s eyes widened in understanding, her shit-eating grin only spreading further as she looked to the paladin and planned her jump. Placing one blade between her teeth, she brushed her stray bangs behind her ear and prepared to make her move.

Casavir came to a halt as the dragon reared its ugly head, gaining its bearings once more and prepared to shout at them all. Rona caught up with the paladin and jumped in, joining his ward with her own as she shouted back at Eroeh, “NOW!”

Catching up, the little Bosmer grabbed the paladin by the back of his chestplate collar and hoisted herself up over his shoulders before launching herself, arms wide open and blades drawn onto the dragon with a shrill warcry.

Landing along the back of the dragon’s neck, she dug her blades in between the scales, carving jagged bleeding paths down its spine as she slid down onto the center of its back.

As the wave of fire shattered their ward and Eroeh managed to bury her blades into the winged fury, Rona turned to Casavir and shouted, “THROW ME!”

Casavir looked incredulously at her and stammered, “My lady I-”

Her eyes burned with a fire like he’d never seen before and she demanded, “I SAID. THROW. ME.”

Casavir didn’t argue with that and quickly lifted her, grasping her around her rear, blushing a bit as he did so, though she didn’t seem to notice or care, her focus being entirely on the dragon before them. “Up high!” She commanded.

Casavir turned his hips and in one fell swoop threw her up as high as he could, surprisingly high in fact, until he realized she was using her magic to propel her more. He watched as she quickly slowed her descent and began pelting arrows right at the beast from her strange vantage point.

He snapped out of it then and ran into the fray himself, joining Eroeh in spearing the dragon with his greatsword aiming for its throat as it threw its head about, trying to toss the wild-eyed and cackling Bosmer from its back. He saw his opening then and leapt in, swinging harshly against the soft skin of its throat, tearing it wide open and sending its blood spraying into the hot spring. 

With a final gurgling roar it slumped over, collapsing into the water, dead.

Bishop stopped at the edge of the pool and Rona came to a soft landing beside him. Thurp stood there, staring in awe at what the group managed to do until the beast started to burn up.

With a yelp Eroeh quickly scrambled off its back and slid into the water. They watched as its skin seared away and its soul whisked through the air, hitting and swirling all around the disheveled Dragonborn.

Bishop frowned at the man and said, “Oh like that’s fair. We kill the damn thing and you get all the power? How in _Oblivion_ did _that_ fucking happen?”

Thurp glanced sheepishly at him and shrugged. Rona let out a deep sigh, glad that the dragon was dead and that all of her companions were safe. She felt a wet nose, nuzzling at her hand and looked down to see Karnwyr holding her bow in his maw as he grinned up at her in a puppyish way. She laughed a bit and took her bow from him, scratching him behind the ears and said, “Thanks Karnwyr.”

He wagged his tail wildly and seeing both Eroeh and Casavir treading through the hot springs, decided to dive in himself. The wolf jumped right into the water and dog paddled towards the bloodied Bosmer.

Eroeh smiled as the dopey wolf waded over to her and knocked her over, ruffling his ears as she held him against her in the water. “Good boy, did you bring the horses with you too?” she asked, smiling and laughing as he slobbered all over her face. “Guess not,” she giggled before freeing one of her hands, hooking two fingers in her mouth and whistling sharply across the plains. With a loud nicker Smoke, Faust, Maximus, and Karinda all came trotting along towards them, the former of the bunch splashing through the shallows as she made her way towards the pool her rider was sitting in.

Casavir climbed out of the water and looked to his companions, “Well, now that, that’s taken care of perhaps we can take a moment to wash the blood off?”

Bishop grinned at Eroeh and said, “Sounds good to me.”

Eroeh smiled in his direction and made to stand back up, wincing at the tingling sensation all along her back. “Damn. Guess my ward wasn’t as thick as I was hoping. You mind checking it out for me?” she asked with a half-grimacing grin, already starting to undo the ties at the front of her jacket.

“Anytime Sweetness,” Bishop purred in response, meeting her along the pools edge to pull her up. “C’mon, let’s get you over to one of the pools that’s a bit less…. well... _bloody_ ,” he finished with an awkward chuckle.

Casavir and Rona started to follow their comrades, also hoping to get a chance to rinse the blood and soot off their hands and faces. They found a nice, mostly unsullied spring where they chose to clean up in. Casavir immediately started to dress down to his linens and Rona knelt at the edge of the spring, splashing water on her face and hands, while Bishop tended to Eroeh. 

As Casavir stepped into the water, with just his trousers on and started to rinse himself he was startled to see a completely nude man slowly backstroking his way across the water. He burned bright red in the face and gasped, “Mara’s mercy!”

Rona looked up only to be met with the sight of a man’s flaccid penis as he casually swam through the pond. She threw her hands to her face, although peeked through her fingers, trying to process that what she was seeing was real. She knew it was when Bishop spat, “Oh for real!? The fuck! Put some clothes on! No one wants to see that!”

The Nord man smiled lazily at him and said, “Better to dip in the springs and go natural, like Kyne intended.”

Bishop cringed at him and made a gagging noise.

Eroeh was relatively unphased by the sight of the nude man in the water, being too concerned with her stinging back as she carefully peeled out of her white undershirt. “Oy, Bishop! How’s it looking?” she asked as she curled forward, barely bothering to cover her chest as she moved her hair over her shoulder.

“It’s all pretty red, but there’s no blisters as far as I can tell… Doesn’t look much different than a bad sunburn to be honest. You wanna… you know, cover your tits or something? We don’t exactly know this guy,” he commented, warily eyeing the nude swimmer as he continued to float along. “It’s just a body, Bishop. Everybody’s got one. Nothing to be so defensive about,” she argued with a weary sigh, grimacing as her back began to glow with the soft golden light of her healing magic.

“She’s right yah know,” the Nord man commented as he lazily swam by again, not even bothering to look at her.

Rona went over to Eroeh then and took a look at her back, frowning a little and said, “Let me see what I can do for this,” she looked at Bishop and asked, “Know any remedies you can mix up to help soothe it?” She carefully traced her hands across Eroeh’s back, trying to heal it as best she could.

Bishop scratched the back of his head and looked around the dead plains, “Well if I could find some nirnroot…”

“There’s some back at my camp,” the Nord man said as he _once more_ , floated by them.

Bishop crossed his arms and grumbled but Rona jumped in before the ranger could put his foot in his mouth, “Can you take us there?”

“Sure thing,” he said as he promptly sank into the water and righted himself up so he was standing. Rona blushed and turned her head away as his decently sized member swayed between his legs. “Just follow me, it’s a little ways away.”

Casavir cleared his throat and said, “I think I’ll meet up with you all. There’s a giant’s camp nearby where I can collect that mammoth tusk powder we need for Nurelion,” then he glanced at Bishop and said, “Keep an eye on them?”

Bishop gave a firm nod as Casavir split off from the group, glad to have an excuse to avoid the nude man for the time being. He passed right by Gustav Thurp who looked confused as to what to do with himself. Casavir glanced back and still seeing that Eroeh was mostly undressed said, “Sir… erm, Dragonborn?”

Thurp looked at him, bemused and Casavir sighed, “Would you mind assisting me in collecting this ingredient we need?”

The befuddled Dragonborn just nodded, glad to have some sort of guidance and followed the paladin across the plains in the opposite direction of the girls and Bishop.

** Setting ** **: Broken Limb Camp, Eastmarch**

A short time passed before the two of them arrived at the giant’s camp. Casavir knelt behind a boulder and watched warily as two towering monsters herded their mammoths into the perimeter of trees surrounding their encampment. He glanced down at his own clunky armor and frowned a bit before looking at Thurp who was only dressed in a simple Stormcloak jerkin.

“I’ll distract them and give you a chance to sneak in and collect a satchel of the mammoth tusk powder,” he handed Thurp a leather pouch. “Give me a moment here.” Casavir looked around and saw a decently sized rock that fit nicely in the palm of his hand. He motioned for Thurp to stay there and darted around the camp, keeping cover behind the rock formations and foliage, trying to stay as quiet as he could with his clunky armor on. He stopped once he was nearly opposite to Thurp and at just the right moment, when the giants were looking the other way, he chucked the rock hard at the ass of one of their mammoths.

It hit the poor creature a little harder than he expected, causing it to trumpet loudly, drawing the attention of both giants. As the two creatures tended to their now very distressed cattle, Casavir waved his arms furtively from across the way, giving Thurp the go ahead to run in and collect the powder. 

The Dragonborn, thankfully, got the signal and scurried along on his skinny legs, aiming for a large metal bowl where the powder was stored. Unfortunately for him, however, his legs refused to cooperate and he got tangled up with himself. He tripped stupidly and tumbled across the ground, grunting and groaning loudly the entire way.

Casavir slapped a hand to his face and gave a deep sigh as one of the giants turned its head, looking for the intruder. The paladin drew his greatsword and barreled in, hacking at the ankles of the giant nearest to him and sending it toppling over the nearby mammoth.

He looked up just in time to see Thurp desperately trying to escape the furious giant that was stomping after him, club in hand. The ground rumbled with each heavy footfall and Thurp managed to scramble over a large, upturned log trying to skitter away. The giant wasn’t having it though and with a gurgling growl, he slammed his club down hard on the opposite end of the tree trunk. Thurp’s end snapped upwards, sending him flying sky high through the air. Casavir stared wide-eyed as the Dragonborn spiraled through the air, wailing pathetically across the sky and into the distance. 

He decided to take the opportunity for what it was and hurried over to the bowl where the mammoth tusk powder sat undisturbed while the giant triumphantly stomped a foot, roaring out at Thurp.

Casavir managed to collect a full satchel and yeeted the fuck outta there before he got sent blasting off again.

Back at the naked man’s camp, Bishop was busy meticulously swiping his blade along section of nirnroot, collecting the gel with an ungloved finger and carefully spreading it over the still sore skin of Eroeh’s pinkened back. “So nice…” Eroeh sighed contentedly as the cool green gel dulled the pain of her skin, leaning peacefully against her knees.

“So... as convenient as it made things for us… Why the _fuck_ do you have potted nirnroots hanging all over the place?” Bishop griped, shaking his head as the constant droning hum of the glowing plants rang in his ears. 

“You ever smoke nirnroot, man? It’s good stuff. Plus, they make wicked cool night lights,” the still _VERY_ naked Nord explained, his hands on his hips.

“Well it’d be a hell of a lot easier to concentrate on what I’m doing if there weren’t _TWENTY OF THEM **SCREAMING** AT ME!_” Bishop growled, violently rubbing his ear against his shoulder.

Before he could bitch further, two naked women rose from the nearby pools, casually walking across his line of sight as they went for drinks at a nearby table. “ _Well hello there~_ ” Bishop purred before getting lazily whapped across the back of the head by Eroeh.

“ _Focus_ , ranger,” she grumbled in warning before stretching out in front of him, sighing as the breeze cooled the gel on her back further. With an amused chuckle he continued his work, keeping his eyes on the little half elf in front of him.

Rona was sitting at the edge of the spring, her bare foot idly dangling in the water as she started to worry for Casavir and debated on heading back to look for him. Then a strange sound, not totally unlike the droning nirnroots caught her ears. It seemed to be coming from above, however and she looked up, shielding her eyes from the bright midday sun and squinted.

“ _AAAAAAA **AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_”

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped as the Dragonborn himself came sailing out of the sky and hit the water face first with a loud slap. Everyone in the camp looked over, stunned, even the three sleepy looking nudists, as Gustav Thurp slowly and pathetically sank into the hot spring.

Rona quickly stepped into the water and tread through it, reaching the topheavy Nord and flipped him over on his back as he bobbed up and down.

“Is that idiot dead yet?” Bishop asked with a snicker.

“Are you alright?” Rona asked, gaping down at the dazed blond Nord. She gasped and looked up and out towards the giants camp then looked back down at Thurp and shouted, “Where’s Casavir!?”

Thurp blinked a few times and she impatiently grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him, “ _WHERE IS HE!?_ ”

Her question was answered for her then as the glint of the paladin’s shiny armor flashed in the distance. She immediately abandoned the idiot Dragonborn and scurried through the water, climbing out of the spring and raced towards him. Rona yelped halfway to him, realizing she was still barefoot and running over coarse volcanic sand.

Casavir noticed as well and closed the distance between them, quickly pulling her up off her feet, “My lady, are you alright? Your feet-”

She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him and said, “Oh thank the gods you’re alright!”

“Of course I’m fine m’lady,” he smiled, “I am a trained Knight of the Nine.”

“Get a roooooooooom…” Eroeh chuckled from her spot on the ground, wincing as Bishop put the last bits of gel on her burns. Bishop made a retching noise then, joining in on her teasing the couple-in-denial with a shit-eating smile wide across his face.

Rona blushed at their comments realizing they were at the moment the center of attention. Casavir too had a red tinge to his cheeks and he was looking pointedly off in the opposite direction, although that was more likely due to the fact that there were two nude women and one very nude man swimming around the spring. He set her back down near the spring and she quickly rinsed her feet off, healing a few of the cuts from the coarse sand and pulled her boots on.

Casavir saw Thurp sitting almost dazedly in the water and said, “Dragonborn! You’re alright! Thank the gods. When those giants launched you through the sky I truly thought the worst.”

Thurp merely blinked at him, still starry-eyed from his back-breaking splash down. Casavir turned his attentions then to Rona, Bishop and Eroeh and asked, “Shall we be moving on soon?”

“Yup, just a little more - _aaand_ done!” Bishop finished up smearing the soothing Nirnroot goo on Eroeh’s back and she quickly redressed.

With Eroeh’s burns tended to and both Casavir and Rona blushing up a storm at the group of nudists, the party quickly thanked the kindly naked strangers and set off again heading south.


	23. Sooo Terrorist And Racially Indiscernable Accomplice?

**Setting: Somewhere South along the Black River, between Eastmarch and The Rift**

Eroeh rode ahead alongside Rona, both girls giggling and quietly chatting about the boys as they made their way across what was left of the geyser fields. Staying close to the nearby Black River as they travelled. Both males were still mulling over what’d happened in Windhelm- from the party to its after-events, and their temporary return to semi-camaraderie in the aftermath of their hangovers.

As they rode along the riverbank the brooding males both spotted a familiar structure in the distance, the remains of Lost-Knife, a place neither had been to since they’d escaped from Thorns monstrous reign.

“ _Bishop… about everything that happened back then,_ ” Casavir started uncomfortably, still avoiding eye contact with the ranger.

“There’s _nothing_ to talk about, Casavir. _So don’t bother._ ” Bishop spat back stubbornly, a slight wavering in his voice as he tried to shift his gaze back onto the path ahead of them. Anything to avoid looking at that gods-forsaken place or the paladin beside him.

“Bishop, I’m not sorry for what I did. All I did, I did to try to save her. My _only_ regret is that Jules was caught in the crossfire of my actions. He was a good man, and did not deserve what happened to him. Neither of you did. Had you been in my situation you would have done the very same.”

“Don’t go assuming what I would and wouldn’t have done, Casavir. You don’t know a damn thing about me.” Bishop growled at the paladin, angry that he had the nerve to say his brother’s name so casually after what he’d done.

“And if it’d been Lady Eroeh in Luka’s place? What would you have done then, Bishop?” the knight questioned further, cutting his eyes at the petulant ranger.

“That’s besides the point. What _matters_ is that you did what you did without thinking of what might happen, and Jules is _dead_ because of it. Trying to turn it around on me isn’t going to make a lick of difference, so you might as well give up now.” Bishop growled, pursing his lips and spurring Faust on ahead, his usual scowl etched deeper into his face than it already was.

Seeing Bishop’s grumpier-than-usual expression as he rode up alongside her, Eroeh reached out and clasped her tiny hand around his, giving him a warm smile that softened his demeanor considerably.

Looking at Eroeh smiling at him, Bishop suddenly understood what Casavir had asked him, and realized the paladin was right. He would have done anything if it meant keeping her safe. The thought that she had him wrapped so tight around her finger after such a short time together made Bishop beyond uneasy, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. He’d never felt anything like it before, and didn’t want to find out the hard way if he’d ever feel it again if he were to mess this up.

As Rona rode steadily along idly plucking at Eroeh’s lute, Casavir came up beside her, his expression dismal. She tilted her head slightly as though to look up at his face, and smiled at him. It took a moment before he noticed her staring, which broke him from his reverie. “Ah… is there something on my face my lady?”

“Just a big ‘ol frown,” she said, laughing lightly.

He cracked a slight smile and said, “I apologize. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“Want to talk about it?” She asked.

“No… it’s better left unspoken, if I’m to be honest-” he snapped his head up very abruptly and grabbed at the reins on her horse, stopping them both at the sound of someone yelling in the distance. They both squinted through the midday sunlight, looking on ahead at two people fiercely fending off a wild sabre cat.

_CRACK_

Sonina’s shield collided with the side of the giant sabre cat’s skull. Meanwhile, Kaidan was off to the side, trying to shoot arrows into the beast’s furry pelt. Neither of them seemed to notice the approaching group. Instead, they both were more focused on the argument they were having during the fight. The Nord’s shield was brought up to protect her face when the sabre cat tried to claw at her as she spoke. “So this is that lovely Skyrim hospitality I’ve heard so much about back in Cyrodiil? Good to know.”

Kaidan’s arrow struck the beast in the neck, catching it off guard and sending it stumbling to the side. “It’s not like we’d be in this situation if those robed bastards minded their own damn business. Neither of us were bothering them.” He frowned, and then eyed Sonina as she slashed at their enemy with her war axe. “Well, at least _l_ wasn’t bothering them.”

“What was I supposed to do when those assholes stopped me at the border, just assumed I was a Stormcloak, and then _attacked_ me? _Not_ defend my honor?” She laughed bitterly. “In case you haven’t realized, that’s not how Nords operate.” She staggered back when the sabre cat’s claws nearly tore into her armor. “Shit!” Her eyes narrowed at the cat. Once she regained herself, she charged right towards it and struck it once more with her shield, stunning it and allowing her to run her blade along its neck.

Kaidan watched as their aggressor sunk to the ground, and the life drained from its eyes. Then he looked towards the Nord standing in front of it. “In any case, we took care of them. They won’t be bothering anyone else.” He frowned and then made a vague gesture towards… Everywhere on her. “Err, you’ve got a bit of…”

Sonina looked down to realize she was clearly drenched in the sabre cat’s blood. “Fantastic. I _just_ had a bath when we got out of that prison as well.” The Nord shook her head and let out a sigh. “Well, whatever. At least that’s done with. Now we just have to worry about…” When she noticed Kaidan looking past her and at something else, she tilted her head. “Kaidan, what are you…” Her attention turned towards the group that’d clearly been watching them. Oh. “Oh. Uhh… Hi?”

“Hey there! You guys uh… you guys alright? We would of joined in, but you looked like you had it handled well enough…” Eroeh chuckled, reaching into her pack for a clean rag and her waterskin before dismounting Smoke and making her way towards the pair. Offering the waterskin and rag to the bloodsoaked Nord, the little half-Bosmer gave her a friendly smile. “Name’s Eroeh. You guys gonna be alright?” she asked, eyeing the odd pair.

Sonina nodded as she took the rag and waterskin. “Yeah I think we’ll be alright, as far as wounds are concerned anyway. Thank you for these, by the way.” Her eyes shifted towards Kaidan, who’d been skeptically eyeing the group the entire time. She nudged his shoulder and then turned back to Eroeh. “I’m Sonina. Just came in from Cyrodiil.” She then gestured towards Kaidan. “And tall, dark, and ambiguous-in-race over there is Kaidan. He looks at everyone like that. Don’t worry.”

“You’re welcome, and it’s alright. You never know about people nowadays...” Eroeh chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest and bringing one hand to her chin. “You know… not that I want to make any assumptions here, but are you guys lost or something?” she asked rather forwardly, pointing between them.

“Yeaaahhh, about that…” Sonina chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her neck. “This’ll probably be rich coming from a Nord, but I’m not from here. I have no idea how to get around, and Kaidan’s not much better off, given how all of his gear is still back in Falkreath, including his map.”

“Sonina,” Kaidan interrupted, causing her to look over to him again. “Are you sure we should be telling them-”

“We’ve been wandering in circles for the past day, Kaidan. I _think_ it’s time to accept directions from someone, and they don’t look like they’re about to haul us off to another prison at least.” She shook her head. “Anyways, I’m guessing you overheard our conversation? I don’t know how long you’ve been watching. We both got into a biiiit of trouble with the Thalmor.”

“By ‘bit of trouble’, she means they dragged me away from my camp for a stupid reason and she picked a fight with a Justicar at the border.”

“Details.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter anyway. They’re gone, and these guys don’t look like they’re with them.”

“It’s a relief to find more like-minded individuals around here. Quite frankly I say fuck the Thalmor. They can rot in the darkest depths of Oblivion for all any of us care.” Eroeh chuckled, the corner of her lip drawing into a dimpled smirk.

“At least the ones back there won’t be bothering anyone anymore. We made sure of that.” Sonina smirked and looked towards Kaidan again. Surprisingly, he returned one in kind. “Hopefully they _are_ rotting in Oblivion now. Especially that one… What was his name?”

“Cyrelian.”

“Yeah, the Justicar who, _by the way,_ picked a fight with _me._ I just finished it.” That was her story and she was, in fact, sticking with it. “Wasn’t he going on about something before though? Being the relative of some big shot here in Skyrim?”

“Yeah, he was the nephew of Elenwen apparently.”

“Right, her.”

“Ugh, _Elenwen?_ ” Eroeh asked with a grimace like she’d just smelled a hot pile of fresh mammoth shit. “She’s the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim, and she’s for lack of a better word a raging cunt.” she explained flatly, dismissively waving her hand at the mention of the woman’s name.

Well, Sonina was starting to like this woman more.

Rona nodded her head furiously in agreement, “My ata, er, my father, he’s had to deal with her and the Thalmor for years as part of his job, so I know how you feel,” then she smirked stifling a laugh as she said, “You really killed her nephew? _Cyrelian?_ Ugh! I couldn’t stand him! Every visit to Alinor and he had the audacity to completely ogle me with his other buddies while at the same time dropping Nordic slurs under their breaths. That prick definitely deserved it.”

“Yeah that sounds about right. Seems like the ones up here are no better than the ones back home. Why am I not surprised?”

“Well, if you don’t mind the crowd, we wouldn’t mind helping you along to the nearest major city at the very least. We’re on our way to Riften for the time being if you want to tag along.” Eroeh explained, inviting them along on their trip, to which Bishop audibly groaned about in the background, leaving both Rona and Casavir snickering under their breath. “Also, If you’re interested I know a good place nearby where you can get what’s left of that sabrecat off of you without worrying about prying eyes or freezing water.”

While Kaidan definitely seemed skeptical about the idea, Sonina immediately perked up and smiled. “That sounds great! I doubt a waterskin and rag are going to get all of this off of me.” She looked down at her armor and frowned. “As for Riften, yeah. We can probably accompany you there. Hopefully they have an alchemist’s shop. Not much of my stock survived our encounter with the Thalmor”

“Why is it that of all the fucking people on Nirn, I end up falling for the social fucking butterfly?” Bishop grumbled in exasperation, rubbing his hand down his face. Sonina couldn’t help but chuckle at the other Nord’s comment. Looks like Kaidan wasn’t the only cautious one.

“I wouldn’t mind having along two strong warriors who can clearly handle themselves. All the better to fend off these dragons we keep encountering,” Rona chimed in while giving Bishop a glare of warning.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Casavir said, “And perhaps with a larger group those vile lizards will be less likely to bother us.”

“Dragons, eh? So the stories I heard throughout northern Cyrodiil are true then? I’m thinking it might be for the best that we travel in a group then.” She gave Kaidan a coy smile. “As good as you might be with that warbow, I doubt you could knock a _dragon_ out of the sky.”

“Are you doubting my skills, Sonina?” Kaidan asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

She shrugged. “From all the stories da told, I don’t think we’d be much use against a dragon on our own anyway. It’d be good to travel in a large group. As, the… Err…” She looked Casavir over and frowned. “Plated guy said, they might be less likely to bother us.”

“Alright. We’ll go with them if you’re so insistent.”

“Wonderful. Now, this handsomely grumpy bastard is _Bishop_.” Eroeh chirped, motioning to the irritable looking ranger. “He’s not the most sociable, so don’t take it personal if all he does is glare and grumble in your general direction. It takes him a while to warm up to people.”

“It’s nice to meet you both, I’m Rona and this is Casavir,” she said motioning to herself and the humble paladin who gave a slight bow in their direction.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

Bishop shot the little Bosmer an agitated glare, and with an indignant huff and a roll of his eyes took his reigns in hand and slowly walked Faust onward. 

Casavir glanced around, realizing their entire group was on horseback while their two new companions were on foot. He quickly dismounted Maximus and said, “You are both free to take my steed if perhaps Lady Rona wouldn’t mind me riding with her?”

Rona smiled and said, “I don’t mind.”

“Thanks. I actually _did_ have a horse when I came through Pale Pass. I’m sure the Thalmor have done away with him by now though. Shame.”

He returned the smile and stood by waiting for her to dismount so they could swap places, but Rona just smirked at him, before twisting slightly in her seat and pat the butt of her horse, “You’re way too tall to ride in front Casavir.”

He blushed and put a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat while Bishop chuckled loudly in the background, “Riding in the bitch seat. Nice Cas.”

Casavir rolled his eyes, ignoring the remark and climbed up onto Karinda behind Rona. Then realizing he had to hold onto something he first put his hands to her shoulders and she wriggled a bit in protest, so he moved them down and set them gently at her hips, hardly touching her. Rona just sighed loudly and grabbed both his hands, wrapping them around her waist. He didn’t fight against the motion and finally settled in.

Rona looked over at Sonina and Kaidan and smiled, “We’re ready to go whenever you two are.”

“Maximus is a very mild-mannered steed and will be easy to ride, I assure you,” Casavir noted.

“You sure about that?” Bishop scoffed as he rode Faust a little closer to the white stallion who immediately eyed him and snorted loudly in his direction while pawing a hoof threateningly at the ground. Bishop narrowed his eyes at Maximus, quickly guiding Faust away from him and said, “ _See!?_ I swear this fucking horse has it out for me!”

“Maximus was trained to spot criminals and since you have the look and temperament of one that’s why he reacts as he does towards you,” Casavir explained, “Since neither Lady Sonina nor Sir Kaidan appear to be _hooligans_ , however, they will be fine to ride him,” he looked back at them both and said, “Please, go right ahead.”

“ _He seems to like me just fine~_ ” Eroeh giggled quietly as she walked Smoke alongside Bishop and Faust, smirking playfully.

As the two men bickered, Sonina and Kaidan watched on in slight amusement.

“This is the group you chose for us to go with, then?” He asked her in a hushed voice.

She sighed and mumbled back to him. “Do you see anyone else even remotely competent making their way through here? I’m sure we’ll be fine. At least until Riften.” When Casavir spoke up to them again, she nodded and smiled politely. “Thank you. Hopefully this will only be temporary.” She walked towards Maximus and held out her hand. The horse eyed her for a moment, but then allowed her to gently pat him on the snout. “You don’t seem so bad, now do you, buddy?” She cooed.

Kaidan shook his head. “Alright, horse whisperer. Let’s hit the road before it starts getting dark.” He walked over and hopped on the back of Maximus. Then he held out his hand for Sonina to help her up. Soon enough, she was settled behind him. “Right then. Lead the way.”

“Alright, so this place we’re headed to- it’s a cozy little spot here in the Rift called Clearspring Tarn,” Eroeh started to explain. “It’s not very busy with traffic, it’s up on a hillside so it has a better vantage point in case we have any scaly company drop by unexpectedly, and it’s well-hidden by a thicket of maple and aspen trees,” she explained as they rode on.

“Now, the pool itself is beautiful; its spring-fed from underground like the geyser fields so it stays pretty warm- but it’s a lot clearer than those pools because the water comes from a separate source. _Perfect_ for baths. Also it has this really nice, soft green grass that’s easy on tired feet, and an abundance of plant life nearby, so maybe you can restock some of your ingredients _before_ we get to Riften.”

“Bathing in public?” Casavir said aghast, “It would be highly inappropriate to expose ourselves like that!”

“No worries, there’s plenty of tree coverage to keep any potential onlookers away, and there’s a small cave nearby that we can camp out in to keep us less exposed through the night, especially since you never know when the weather might turn.” Eroeh reassured him/her with a grin.

Kaidan tilted his head. “A cave? Are you sure that it’s safe?”

“I’ve stayed in it myself a couple of times before now. It’s easily defensible and most people walk right by without even realising it’s there, so we should be good to camp for the night and take off to Riften at dawn. Does that about answer all of your questions?” Eroeh asked, turning her head and eyeing her travelling companions.

“Yes, that about covers it,” Sonina replied. “We’re just a little more than wary after everything that’s happened over the past day or so. Well, Kaidan is at least.” Her comment had him shaking his head.

“Well I don’t know about you all, but I’m looking forward to that bath,” Bishop said with a yawn.

Rona eyed him suspiciously but kept her thoughts to herself. She couldn’t say much about his potential for peeping when she and Eroeh had been caught red-in the face spying on both of them back at the College.

** Setting ** **: Clearspring Tarn, The Rift**

After an hour or so of travelling, the party arrived at the hillside path leading to Clearspring Tarn. Eroeh looked back on her pack of companions before carefully easing Smoke up the barely visible footpath along the hillside. “Prepare to be amazed, you guys! We’re here!” she called back excitedly, guiding her dappled mare forward.

As they cleared the lip of the hillside path, the pond and its surrounding environment came into clear view. Bishop couldn’t help but find himself in awe of her little hideaway, from the sparkling blue waters of the pond to the lush gold and red of the surrounding plant life, it was hard to find something to complain about.

“Shit Ladyship I gotta give it to ya, you really hit the jackpot with this place. And I thought _I_ knew all the ins and outs of the Rift…” he mused with a smirk, making sure to commit their location to memory. He definitely wanted to bring her back here sometime. Just the two of them.

“It’s gorgeous!” Rona cried with awe as she looked over the lush scene and admired the unsullied beauty of the pond, dotted with colorful flowers. She watched as several dragonflies hovered across the water before chasing each other around.

“Absolutely incredible,” Casavir agreed, “I never knew Skyrim held such beauty. It seems there is more to this land than just the frozen tundra after all.”

“I’m glad you guys like it,” Eroeh giggled, flashing them a soft smile. She’d always loved Clearspring- in her younger years it’d been one of the few safe haven’s she could count on when travelling alone, and she was happy to have people to share it with for once.

Admittedly, Clearspring Tarn was a thing of beauty. Sonina and Kaidan both dismounted and looked around. While Sonina was admiring the scenery around her, Kaidan appeared to be looking at things a little more critically. When the Nord looked over at her companion, she raised an eyebrow. “Uh… Kaidan?”

“I gotta admit that Eroeh was right about this location. It’s easily defendable, especially with such a large group.”

“Yes, of course. We wouldn’t have been traveling to this place with them if I didn’t trust her word on the matter.” Her attention turned back towards the scenery. “And this vantage point is definitely beautiful. We could probably see all of Eastmarch from here.”

“It does feel a little open though. Even with all of us, how are we supposed to take down a dragon if one decides to fly in? Do they even die without the Dragonborn absorbing their souls?”

“I don’t know? We don’t get many dragons back in Cyrodiil.” Sonina sighed. “Well, openness aside, you have to admit that this place is-”

“Fortifiable. As long as someone’s keeping watch, we shouldn’t have any problems with looters, but I’m curious about the likelihood of things such as Spriggans and bears.” He looked towards Eroeh. “Have you ever-”

“Kaidan! _Stop._ There’s six of us. We’ll be fine.”

He gave a resigned sigh. “If you say so.”

“Don’t worry Kaidan, I understand your skepticism. We don’t have to stay out in the open though, remember? The cave is just over this way. C’mon, let me show you.” Dismounting Smoke, Eroeh made her way around the corner towards a nearly unnoticeable opening in the rockface.

Brushing a thick curtain of hanging moss aside, she crouched down and quickly shot a magelight towards the back of the small cavern, watching as the unoccupied space was illuminated by the little white ball of travelling light until it bonked against the back wall with a soft chime. “We’re in luck, nobody’s home.” she grinned, standing upright and turning back towards the party.

“Well, it looks safe enough.”

Sonina looked towards Kaidan and raised an eyebrow. “So you’re okay with camping here for the night?”

“Yes, I suppose so. Beats camping out in the open anyway.”

“Good.” Her attention then turned to Eroeh when she started speaking again.

“Alright, now I know we’ve all had a pretty long day, so I wanna get myself cleaned up before I go to bed. Sonina? Rona? Either of you ladies care to join me in the water?” Eroeh asked, waggling her eyebrows playfully at the other two girls.

“Sure, I like the sound of that. Haven’t had a proper bath in a while. At most, I managed to wash my face and arms by a river near that prison a few days ago, and the local wildlife hasn’t been helping.” She was still very much covered in dirt and sabre cat blood, and Kaidan wasn’t faring any better.

“Yes please!” Rona threw a hand up, “I really need to wash the grime off.”

“And what about us? I want in on this!” Bishop chuckled, a lupine grin spreading across his face.

“I don’t think so hot stuff. You guys can go find us something for dinner, and I’ll see about getting it cooked while you boys take your turn in the bath.” Eroeh laughed, patting the ranger’s chest.

Bishop huffed irritably in return, adjusting the quiver on his back and giving a sharp whistle for Karnwyr to follow as he nabbed the paladin by his steel collar and dragged him along behind. “C’mon your holy righteousness. If I don’t get to peek, neither do you.”

He stopped for a moment before sparing Kaidan a backwards glance. “You too face tattoo. I’m sure these three are more than capable of handling themselves for a little while, and I doubt they want you around either.”

“My name is… Kaidan.”

“I’m pretty sure he knows that.”

“Then why did he…”

Picking a stem of scaly pholiota from the base of a nearby tree, Eroeh chucked it towards her rude companion. “ _Be nice, Bishop!_ ” she called out after the grumbling ranger, her nose flaring as she watched her projectile bounce harmlessly off the back of his head and fought the urge to laugh.

Bishop didn’t look back as he walked away and raised one hand, his fist clenched with a proud middle finger pointing towards the sky.

Seeing the men walk out of sight, Eroeh let out a long sigh and began the process of removing her armor, starting with her jacket. Before getting too far ahead of herself she fished out her soaps and such from her saddlebags, setting them aside on the flat of a nearby rock.

With the men safely out of sight, Rona undid the button on the back of her dress and slipped out of it, carefully folding it up and placing it in her pack. She started to take off her boots when she noticed Eroeh pulling some familiar looking soaps and shampoos out of the saddlebags.

“Hey… are those soaps from the College? Did you-?” she snickered, “Did you _steal_ those?”

“They sure are, and wouldn’t you like to know. Did you know that Colette makes these in her spare time with Master Tolfdir’s help? I don’t know if you spent much time around him while we were up there, but he’s the one who gave the soaps these stupid ass names. And either way, even if I _had_ stolen them it’s not like they can’t replace them,” the little white-haired Bosmer quipped in return as she rolled her eyes and carelessly peeled out of her jacket and undershirt.

Letting out a pleased sigh as her chest was freed, Eroeh took a moment to enjoy the warm late afternoon air. “Nothin like letting the girls loose after a long day, am I right?” she chuckled as she stretched.

Rona blushed as she side-eyed Eroeh’s bouncing breasts for a moment, then turned her head away stammering, “You… you really didn’t steal them, though did you?”

“ _Nah_ ,” Eroeh responded with a cheeky grin. “I bought a set off of Colette before we left. Figured we would end up needing them at some point.”

Before Rona could ask more questions, Eroeh set to haphazardly stripping out of her armor and climbing up a nearby boulder. With a grin, she jumped into the pool, whooping loudly as she did, and somehow managing to not splash the other two.

Sonina didn’t pay much mind to the conversation as she busied herself with getting her armor off. Her axe and shield were taken off first, along with her backpack. When she undid her belt, she seemed to be extra careful with the odd containers strapped to the sides of it. Once they were all settled far enough away from the water, she quickly unstrapped and slipped out of her armor. She’d need to find the time to properly clean all of it later. Her priority was cleaning the dirt and blood off of herself for the time being.

Rona held a hand to the side of her face, keeping her eyes pointed at the rippling water where her feet were dangling into the cool pool. 

Eroeh rose to the surface with a giggly inhale of breath, swimming across the small but deep pool towards the girls and reaching over a stone along the water’s edge to grab her bag. “Come on in ladies, the water is _fiiiiiiiiiiiine~_ ” she purred at her companions, digging out her flask of Colovian Brandy. Waving her arms in a wide ‘come hither’ motion, she carefully pushed off from the rocks towards the backside of the pool, playfully beckoning them to join her.

After stripping down, she made her way into the pond. The water was cold at first, but she got used to it fairly quickly. She reached for one of the soaps and was about to start scrubbing herself down, but then Eroeh brought her attention to her.

“ _So…..Sonina-_ ” Eroeh started, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. “Tell us a bit about yourself. I know you said you’re from Cyrodiil, but other than that….” she trailed off momentarily. “Also, what’s up with you and tall, dark, and ambiguously raced? You two a thing?” she asked, playfully wiggling her eyebrows at the Nord before unscrewing the cap from her flask with her teeth and taking a swig.

“Cyrodiil? Yeah. Leyawiin to be specific, but I was technically born in Skyrim. We moved just before the start of the Civil War. As for Kaidan…” She paused for a few seconds. A _thing?_ “No, he’s not my lover, if that’s what you’re asking. We only met a few days ago when the Thalmor kidnapped both of us. I was at the border, and he mentioned something about camping out in Falkreath.”

“Oh Leyawiin? I’ve been out that way a few times for some jobs we had with my Guild. I’m from Cheydinhal myself. What about your friend? I’ve never seen anyone quite like him before…”

Rona’s question had her chuckling a little. “Actually, neither of us know where he’s from, or his race. He’s never met his parents, doesn’t know who his mother is, or her own race.” She glanced off in the direction the boys went in as she started washing her arms. “We’re hoping to figure it out though, and maybe find out more about his family in the process.”


	24. Stick Tiddies

**_\---- SOMEWHERE OFF IN THE FUCKING WOODS\----_ **

“Man, why’d they have to stick me out the woods with you two ugly fuckers?” Bishop groaned as the three men and Karnwyr walked along in the nearby forest. Casavir was doing his best to not roll his eyes hard enough to see the inside of his head as he listened to Bishop’s incessant complaining. “I’d much rather be back at camp with the girls. At least then the view would be better…” the ranger grumbled in agitation.

_Ugly fuckers? Speak for yourself, scar-face. Boy you wanna fight? I’ll take you on right now. Fookin’ come at me mate. You’ll regret it._

Casavir noticed Kaidan’s irate glare and coughed awkwardly saying, “I assure you Bishop, we would all much rather be out of your company as well.”

“I’m pretty sure the girls don’t want us around while they’re bathing. Maybe you should treat them with a bit more respect than that.”

Bishop scoffed and heavily rolled his eyes while Casavir nodded in agreement and made to change the subject before the prickly ranger could verbally assault their new companion again, “So, Kaidan… I hope you don’t mind me asking, whereabouts on Nirn do you hail from?”

“I used to travel all around. Never had a home. Hardly had a family. Not too keen on talking about it if you don’t mind.”

While the other two were busy not-talking, Bishop caught sight of a sizeable buck in the distance, quietly breaking off from the group with Karnwyr. _“C’mon buddy, the sooner we snag something to eat the sooner I can get back and sneak a peek at the girls…”_

Carrying on ahead, Bishop sent Karnwyr around upwind of the buck, scaring it towards the ranger as he growled and nipped at its heels. Once within range, Bishop drew back an arrow and sent it flying towards the stag, burying the arrow deep into its chest and downing it. With a satisfied laugh, he approached his prey and drew his dagger across its throat, guaranteeing the kill and putting it out of whatever misery it had left to suffer. “Good work, bud!” he chuckled, ruffling Karnwyr behind the ears.

“Oi, shitheads!” Bishop called out, drawing Casavir and Kaidan’s attention down into the nearby valley, “I got dinner! You two get to carry it back!” Hitting a nearby downed tree, he unclipped a hatchet from his pack and began hacking off several decent branches, and picked a few edible-looking mushrooms from a nearby patch. Taking a bite out of one of the mushrooms and finding it decent tasting Bishop shrugged and tossed the rest into his bag before tucking the firewood under his arm. He chewed contentedly as he made his way back to camp.

Spotting a particularly fat looking rabbit in the nearby brush, Karnwyr darted after it, the distressed screams of a violent death echoing a bit through the trees before the sound of a crunch, then silence. Padding back towards his human brother, Karnwyr trotted happily along with the dead hare in his mouth, its fuzzy little body dangling limply from his jaws with a broken neck.

Did Kaidan really want to go around doing whatever that guy asked? He was going to complain, but decided to just keep his mouth shut. The sooner they were out of the forest and back at camp, the sooner he could busy himself with preparing it and ignoring whatever else came out of that ranger’s mouth.

Also that dog is kinda gross. Just sayin’.

“Honestly Bishop (oh god here we go), the least you could have done was gone for a smaller buck,” Casavir grumbled as he knelt down by the beast and struggled only slightly to haul it up over his shoulder with a grunt.

The men made it back to camp just as the girls were drying off, Rona using her quick-dry spell to dry Eroeh’s ridiculous amount of wet hair as they approached. “Aww man, we missed the show!” Bishop groaned, setting the stack of firewood down in a nearby patch of dirt. “Got you a buck. Hope it’s enough for you to work with.” he sighed, shucking his pack from his shoulders and digging the mushrooms out from amongst his other possessions. “Also grabbed ya some of these things. Didn’t taste too bad, so maybe you can make something out of em.”

Rona’s eyes lit up as she saw Casavir hauling the enormous catch all alone to their camp. He dropped it onto the ground with a huff and clapped his hands together, “Well Lady Eroeh, if you would like some help cleaning the buck and cooking I will gladly oblige you.”

“As much as I would love that, I gave my word that I’d work on this while you three took your baths,” Eroeh sighed. “I can get this situated easily enough though, gods know I have years of practice under my belt.”

Bishop pulled his pack off and tossed it to the ground near where Sonina was sitting. His stomach was churning a bit and he was feeling kind of sick. With a light belching, “ _Urp_ ,” he pat his stomach feeling only slightly better. He watched idly as Sonina started sifting through his pack, pulling out the mushrooms he’d gathered. She was starting to look a lot different than before...

Sonina took one look at the mushrooms Bishop gathered and immediately tensed up. She picked one up and examined it a little more closely. “I hope you didn’t already eat some of these. You _know_ they’re potent hallucinogens, right?”

Eroeh stifled a laugh, shaking her head at the ranger before tying a length of rope around the bucks legs and stringing it up in a nearby tree. “You fucking idiot. Do you usually just go around eating shit you don’t know anything about?” she snorted, yanking the rope to pull the deer up. “That’s like, rule number three of camping out. _Don’t eat weird shit._ ”

Bishop blinked at her and mumbled, “What? They’re just common mushrooms… right?”

“Hallucinogen?” Rona asked, “Like when people drink Skooma?”

Kaidan looked over at her and quirked a brow at Sonina. “How exactly would you know that?” And how did Rona know about Skooma? The fuck’s wrong with these people?

She grabbed the rest of the mushrooms. “I’m an alchemist, remember? I… Have a habit of finding out what the properties of certain ingredients are by eating them. It’s led to more than a few bad trips in my life.” She thought back to when she tried her luck with a nirnroot and shuddered. Then she disappeared off into the forest to dispose of the other mushrooms and hopefully find something to help with the high Bishop would inevitably face. Hopefully that idiot wasn’t going to get himself into too much trouble by eating just _one_ of them.

He was probably going to get himself into a lot of trouble. Dear Gods…

As Sonina headed off into the forest, Kaidan just smirked and walked over to the ranger with his arms crossed over his chest. “So, how are you holding up buddy? You’re not looking so good.” 

“The fuck are you on about? I feel fine. If anyone doesn’t look so good it’s…….. _you_ ” he trailed off, blinking hard a few times and shaking his head. After a moment of trying to get his bearings, he looked around, trying to keep his cool as the deer Eroeh was working on started climbing down from the tree and doing a little tap dance along the way, and the rabbit in Karnwyr’s mouth started making faces at him.

“Whoa.” he slurred slightly, furrowing his brows and struggling to focus. “This...is... _this is fuckin weird_ …”

Kaidan just looked on with a mildly amused expression. “With the way Sonina sounded, I get the feeling you’re going to be like this for a while.”

Taking a seat, he took his gloves off and rubbed his eyes, hoping that whatever he’d eaten would quit fucking up his vision. He couldn’t stand to be off his game like this in front of people.

Suddenly he heard a voice. A soft, musical giggle from behind him as he turned to see a beautiful woman swimming nude in the water, beckoning him in. With a lewd chuckle he followed after her still in his clothes, and slipped face first into the pool with a loud splash.

So mister tall, dark, and ambiguously raced was standing off to the side trying to not lose his fucking shit over all of this. 

“Is he going to bathe?” Rona asked as they watched Bishop slowly sinking into the water.

“He is now,” Eroeh laughed, finishing her knot and making her way over to the pool. 

“Eerrr…”

“Cas… I know this is probably asking too much, but can you babysit him for us while we’re cooking? I don’t want the poor idiot drowning on us…”

Casavir clapped Eroeh on the shoulder and with a deep sigh said, “Not to worry ladies. I’ll keep an eye on him. I suppose in the meantime I can bathe as well.”

Rona watched him walk towards the stupidly splashing and giggling ranger, when the Paladin stopped near some bushes and started to disrobe.

Bishop then proceeded to hastily pull his clothes off, tossing the sopping wet leathers over vaguely towards camp, his pants managing to get caught in a nearby tree. He’d managed to chuck his undershirt hard enough for it to hit Karnwyr, covering his head and causing him to yelp in surprise.

Rona quickly buried her face in her hands at the sight of both men naked as the day they were born. Casavir took no notice of the group all ogling his assavir as he worked to wrangle the ranger.

As all of that was going on, Sonina came back from the forest holding a bowl in her hands. She looked around the group with a frown gracing her lips. What had she gotten herself into? “Where’s the idiot who took the shrooms? I have something to help cure poison. It might help a little.”

“He’s already in the water, Sonina…. And _naked_. Approach at your own risk.” Eroeh warned with a chuckle.

She immediately walked towards Kaidan and nudged him, causing him to look over at her. She then handed the bowl off. “Take this to him, and make sure he drinks all of it. He might be retching for a little while, but he’ll at least come down from that high faster.”

“Why do I have to do it?”

She paused for a few seconds. “... I have a campfire to start.”

“Can’t you just-”

“Go.”

He grumbled something under his breath and headed off towards the guys. In the meantime, Sonina turned her attention to the girls.

“Right, where should I set this up at?”

Kaidan walked towards the group and noticed Casavir had joined Bishop. He held out the bowl to him. “I should probably take a bath as well. Just… Make sure he doesn’t upchuck in the water, yeah?”

Casavir took the bowl and examined it for a moment, frowning at the goopy mixture and the strange smell it emitted. Then he looked back over at the ranger who was, at that moment, busy trying to sweet talk a shapely piece of driftwood.

Casavir set the mixture aside on a wide upturned root nearby, deciding to try and subdue Bishop before forcing the liquid down his gullet. He slowly moved forward through the water, creeping up on him when he heard some of the drivel coming from his mouth, “Anyone ever glazed those sweetrolls of yours, darlin’?” 

Casavir paused a moment, his arms splayed out ready to grab the ranger when he quirked a brow and muttered, “ _Sweetrolls?_ ”

Bishop slowly turned around and looked Casavir up and down then, his eyes glossed over and a wide grin started sprawling across his face, “Ooh, hey there baby, you her friend? That’s alright, Bishop’s got plenty to go around.”

Casavir noticed it then, Bishop’s _very **pointed** dagger_ standing straight up in the water and he gasped, throwing a hand out to censor the grotesque view before him, “ ** _OH GODS BISHOP! WHY!?_**”

Sonina hadn’t bothered to turn around from getting the fire set up but she heard everything going on by that point. “First time users…” She mumbled under her breath before giving a disapproving tut.

In that moment the poor paladin felt something calloused and uncomfortable groping his snowberries and his eyes shot wide open in horror as the ranger purred, “Mmm yeah you like that don’t you beautiful?”

As a reflex Casavir immediately thrust a hand out, grabbing Bishop by the neck and slammed him against the nearby piece of driftwood. This hardly phased the ranger though as he giggled stupidly, “Oh a sandwich huh? Yeah, I can get into this.”

Casavir was turning red in the face with anger and sputtering, “ _Bishop I swear to Mara I will snap your neck if you don’t let go of me this instant._”

“Playing hard to get, Ladyship?”

Kaidan finally decided to intervene and got out of his armor. He carefully waded into the water as he gave both of them a concerned look. Despite how much he wasn’t fond of Bishop, he’d rather not have to deal with the aftermath of Casavir potentially strangling him to death. “Easy now you two. Casavir, I’ll hold him down if you force the medication down his throat.”

Casavir glanced at Kaidan and nodded then loosened his grip on Bishop’s neck, “Alright, I’ll count to three and you grab him and hold him steady before I _strangle_ this idiot.”

Bishop let out another giggle and his eyes slowly rolled to the side where he spotted Kaidan carefully edging closer to him. He bit his lower lip and started ogling every part of the man, drinking in the sight of what he thought was a gorgeous and exotic woman, the likes of which he’d never seen before.

“Mmmnnn, damn beautiful. Never seen a lady like you before. The hell even are you? Ah who gives a shit, come plant that booty over here and join the party!” He said pointing right to his face.

“You talkin’ to me, boy? I can assure you that you’re **_not_** my type. Now, hold still.”

Bishop gave Casavir’s sack another squeeze and with disgust Casavir released him completely then, reeling backwards to get away from him. Now free, Bishop decided to take matters into his own hands and quickly stumbled forward through the water, aiming straight for a very horrified Kaidan with his lips puckered, “ _Give us a kiss darlin’!_ ”

Bishop didn’t make it very far before tripping forward and crashing mouth first right into Kaidan’s luscious lips. He was thrilled at the success of hitting his target and totally unaware of his own clumsiness, taking this new opportunity to thrust his tongue into the raven haired beauty’s full parted lips.

Kaidan immediately grabbed the horny little ranger by the top of his head, forced him to turn around, and slammed him face first into the shapely driftwood from earlier. He then pushed down, forcing Bishop under the water, and held him there. Sadly, in the poor guy’s current state, it proved to be rather difficult for him to fight back. Cas, you betta save yah boi.

Still irate and mortified by Bishop unwantedly fondling his poor sweet juniper berries, Casavir was half-tempted to just let Kaidan drown the buffoon but when he heard Eroeh cheerily call over to them, “Play nice boooys~!” He sighed, rolled his eyes and hurriedly stomped forward through the now muddy, murky water. 

Casavir grabbed Kaidan’s arm and said sternly, “I know… trust me, _I know_. But you have to let him go.”

Kaidan reluctantly released his hold on the ranger and now sedated from his near drowning they held the dazed, lust-drunk ranger up and Casavir awkwardly said to Bishop, “All right now... _*ahem*_... _hun_. Drink this first and then we’ll have lots of… _fun_.” He nearly threw up in his mouth at the mere suggestion of such a thing.

Bishop’s eyes were rolling when they landed on the strange mixture in the bowl and he chuckled, “Oh a stamina potion? I promise you ladies I can last all night, if not longer.”

“No, this will ensure we don’t have any… _little_ _accidents_ ,” Casavir said quickly, thinking back to Bishop’s night with Eroeh.

“Really? They have that for men now? Well alright,” he giggled and quickly gulped the potion down. It wasn’t long before he tried to make another move on them, “Alright, now back to it - Urp…” 

Once the deer was properly gutted, Eroeh looked to Rona and Sonina with a troublesome smile, placing a finger to her lips before slinking off towards the pool. Being careful to stay behind the larger rocks, she quietly nabbed the pieces of their armor she could and skittered away with them, hiding them in the bushes across the camp from them. Luckily Casavir was far too busy trying to get Bishop to drink Sonina’s mixture, and Kaidan was occupied with helping deal with the struggle to notice Eroeh’s shenanigans

Casavir raised a brow, “Bishop? Are you-”

Bishop thrust his arm out at Casavir and held a hand to his mouth, “Er… um, gimme a minute. Whiskey’s catching up to me.”

“It’d be smart to move back a little.” Kaidan immediately took a few steps back, and Casavir soon followed.

Bishop at least managed to turn away from the two before hurling. Sonina spared a brief glance towards them and smirked. Finally. Then she got back to what she was doing while the ranger… Cleared the toxins from his system. Kaidan and Casavir were both holding their noses as they watched the carriage-wreck before them. Despite the clear disgust on both of their faces, it took a little while for them to finally look away.

After that was done and over with, he wiped his mouth and looked over at them. “What… The fuck just happened? Ach… Gods… Why does it feel like my head is splitting in half?”

“Byproduct of the poison cure!” Sonina responded. Could she have made something better for him to take? Probably… Pin it on her lack of resources in a foreign land.

With his lip curled at the mess Bishop left slowly slinking away from them through the water. Casavir side-eyed Kaidan and said, “Let us never speak of this again. The girls will never know what took place here.”

“Aye. I can agree with that. Let’s… Get cleaned up and join the girls. Yeah?”

With dinner at least gutted, cleaned, and separated into portions, Eroeh brought the meat over to Sonina, ready to get dinner going as soon as possible.

Sonina had gotten a decent-sized fire set up, and then got to work on lighting up some kindling. She held her hand out to it and a small flame formed at the tip of her index finger. Once the kindling was lit, she quickly shook her hand to dispel the magic and took a step back. She crossed her arms as she watched the flames grow higher, pleased by her handiwork. Then she looked for Rona and Eroeh to tell them the fire was ready.

While Eroeh was settling the food over the fire, she tried to explain to Rona the ins and outs of how to season, set up, and cook venison. The little Altmer just blankly stared at her and nodded her head as all of the information went in one pointed ear and out the other.

She was too busy staring off at the lake and wondering what just happened after the commotion she’d heard earlier. Then a loud, “Alright! Which one of you mischievous minxes took our clothes!? Ah, fuck it! My godsdamned guts hurt too much to deal with this shit right now!” caught their ears.

Rising from the water without a care in the world, Bishop’s head and insides were still in too much pain for his nakedness to matter. Eroeh’s cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink as she sat, unable to look away as his junk just bobbed in the breeze as he crossed camp.

Sonina was leaning against a nearby tree and looking on at the other two ladies as they cooked. Then she caught sight of Bishop walking over and immediately looked in the other direction. Oh dear Gods. What was he thinking? “Do we have towels for them or anything? I’d rather not have to… Look at that…” _Disgusted virgin noises._

Casavir and Kaidan both came along as well, sopping wet and holding their junk in hand, trying to cover it. Rona couldn’t help but burn red at the fact that Casavir was struggling to palm his entire package.

Yeah, Sonina made the mistake of looking over again. She made eye contact with Kaidan while he was buck naked. Her face immediately flushed a deep red and he looked away as quickly as possible.

Casavir and Kaidan both quickly found their clothes and started to redress while Bishop came right over to where the two elves were seated, hands to his hips as he snapped at Eroeh, “Well where the fuck are my clothes? Just gonna make me run around naked all night?” Then he smirked, “Oh I get it now, wanted to keep your eyes filled this evening.”

Standing up to look him in the eyes, Eroeh was unphased by his antics. She simply cocked an eyebrow at him and gave him a crooked, dimpled smirk. “Your spare clothes are still in your bag, you doofus. Your leathers got soaked when you went diving after that big-tittied _stick_ in the pond…” she chuckled while playfully flicking the underside of his nose. “Not my fault you got high as a giant’s balls and started stripping.”

As Bishop turned away to find his bag, she made sure to give him a quick pinch on the ass for good measure. “Can’t blame me for enjoying the view, though!” she cackled before settling back down around the fire.

Rona was pointedly staring at the ground when she shouted, “YOU THREW YOUR CLOTHES ALL OVER THE PLACE! GO GET THEM!” She pointed out at the bushes and even a tree where they’d landed, “I’VE ALREADY SEEN IT TOO MANY TIMES ALREADY! I DON’T WANT TO SEE IT ANYMORE!” Then she pressed her lips together hard realizing her slip. She and Casavir both exchanged a glance and she felt her face burning hotter than ever.

As Rona was flipping out, Sonina looked over at her with a slightly stunned expression. “This kind of shit has happened _before?!”_

She wanted nothing more than to crawl into herself at that point and slowly turned away from all the staring eyes and muttered, “ _Oh my gods did I just fucking admit that?_ ”

Kaidan walked over to Sonina as he was strapping up his gauntlet. The two of them exchanged nervous glances.

“Really chose some interesting folks to travel with, yeah?” He muttered under his breath, trying to keep his voice low enough for them to not hear. Chances were they were too busy with Rona’s confession anyway.

“This entire province is insane,” She replied. Then she sighed and cautiously made her way over, doing her best to avoid looking at Bishop at all costs. “Well, is the food ready? All this excitement has worked up my appetite. Hopefully you both know a little more about the local herbs than the ranger does…” She said that last line with a cheeky grin on her face, making an attempt to diffuse the awkward conversation.

“Don’t worry, you’re travelling with a true meat master!” Eroeh laughed. That ‘title’ had Kaidan shooting her a strange look, but she continued on before he or anyone else got the chance to say anything. “I grew up in Valenwood. I might not look it by much, but my father was a pure-blooded Bosmer,” she started explaining. “I dunno if you’ve even been that far south… but we have this thing called the ‘Meat Mandate’. Makes it a big ol no-no to mess with the local plant life.”

Taking one of the many skewers of venison from around the fire, Eroeh pried a chunk from the end and tested it, nodding her head in approval. “ _So_ ,” she continued while still half-chewing, “I grew up learning all sorts of ways to prepare different kinds of meat. _Luckily,_ I don’t have to follow those laws up here, so I have more to work with. Since I moved here I’ve learned a few things, and have only gotten better with it.”

“Valenwood, eh? Never been there. I think they fall under Dominion rule and da’s… Not fond of that little organization. Heard about their customs from some of the natives who traveled through my home city though.” She grabbed a skewer for herself, and then motioned for Kaidan to come over.

“Trust me, we don’t like them either. The Dominion can burn for all we care. They killed my parents when I was just a teenager.” she grumbled, taking another bite as she stared off into the woods angrily. 

Rona looked over at Eroeh for a moment before grabbing a skewer for herself and started eating it. She kept her mouth shut on the topic. She was never too fond of discussing the Altmer and their ways. She’d experienced enough racism directed her way both in Skyrim and Cyrodiil as a result of the Thalmor’s actions despite having nothing to do with them.

Killed her parents? Yikes. “My father fought in the Great War, side by side with Ulfric and the like. He gained a… ‘True Nord’s’ mentality from that. Honestly, I’m surprised he chose to leave before the civil war here broke out… Guess he didn’t want to have me deal with what he went through.” She paused for a moment, pondering how differently her life would’ve gone if she was raised as a Stormcloak… That wasn’t a pleasant thought.

"Look, I've got nothing but love for you and Attie,” Eroeh reassured Rona. “Gods know I’d fight tooth and nail for the both of you… but at the end of the day, I think we can _all_ agree that the **_Thalmor_** can go die," Eroeh chuckled. Rona gave her a half-hearted smirk in reply.

Kaidan had taken a seat next to Sonina. He looked over at Rona, a little confused. Then he looked back towards the woman next to him. In a low voice, he mumbled “is she…” The sentence didn’t need to be finished. Sonina just nodded her head in affirmation. He glanced towards her again. Honestly, he expected even a half Altmer to… At least be taller.

“I mean no disrespect towards the Altmer, but yeah. The Thalmor can burn in the depths of Oblivion that they crawled out of.” She then paused for a second as she chewed at a piece of venison. “Stormcloaks can join ‘em.”

Eroeh let out a soft, weary sigh. “When it comes to this stupid civil war, I have friends in both factions... There’s a lot I don’t agree with on both sides of this thing, but that doesn’t make the people fighting inherently good or bad. They’re just that… _people_ , fighting for what they believe in…” she trailed off, thinking of Hadvar and Ralof, wondering what they might be doing in that moment. “To be honest with you I’m pretty neutral on the war itself- I just want the fighting to stop.”

“If it weren’t for Ulfric starting this pointless war, I would’ve been raised in Skyrim, where I _belong.”_ She then sighed. “But that doesn’t matter. It’s all said and done. Let’s ah… Not bring down the mood anymore. So, you heard how Kaidan and I met. What about you guys?”

“This oughta be interesting,” Kaidan mumbled, which caused Sonina to elbow him in the arm.

“Well, Rona and I met back in Cheydinhal about a month ago and bonded over a bar fight…” Eroeh started with a giggle, playfully nudging the little Altmer’s shoulder. 

Rona smirked and said through a mouthful, “Disgusting lech got what he deserved as far as I’m concerned.

“A couple of days later we… _well_ , pretty much **_literally_** ran into Bishop and Karnwyr here as we were running from a dragon, and conned them into joining us as we headed north to visit Rona’s father up at the College of Winterhold.” she admitted proudly.

“We came across Cas along the way at Nightgate Inn. All of us were headed in the same direction, so we just figured there’d be more safety in numbers if we grouped up. Since then though… Well, we’ve just kind of stuck together. Just a happy little band of misfits,” Eroeh finished with a cheesy grin, proud of their little travelling party.

“Definitely sounds like an adventure,” She chuckled as she sat the empty skewer down. Then she looked up at the sky. “Think it’s about time to get to sleep. Today’s been… Full of excitement.” That was one word to describe it. She turned to Kaidan. “How are you holding up? None of those wounds on your back reopened, right?”

“Not from what I could tell in the bath. You did good enough work on ‘em back at the prison, Sonina. I think I’ll be fine.” He stood up and went to go find his bag to change out of his armor.

As he left, she looked back over to Eroeh and Rona. “So we’re sleeping in shifts, right? Who wants to take the first one?”

“I don’t mind,” Eroeh offered. “I burned my back earlier fighting a dragon, and it’s still too uncomfortable to sleep with just yet, so I can stay up and keep watch while I try to heal the rest of it up.”

Eroeh then took a look over at Bishop, who was rubbing his eyes as he groggily ate, and smiled. “Plus, somebody needs to keep an eye on Bishop I think, and I’m pretty sure I’m the least likely to smother him in his sleep,” she laughed, wincing a bit at the lingering sting in her back.

“I can also see about healing your back up while I’m at it if you’d like, Kaidan. I’m a graduated healer, after all. I just burnt out my magicka reserves earlier in the fight, so I didn’t have enough left to take care of myself afterwards.” she explained as she flexed her hands, the soft chime of her healing magic filling the air around her in its warm golden light.

“I’ll be fine,” He responded as he searched through his pack. “I’m mostly healed up now. Just gotta watch myself in combat.” Once he got a pair of worn pants out, he headed out of sight to change.

Sonina watched him until he left, and then turned back to Eroeh. “I’ll take the next one. I need to clean off my armor anyway, so it’ll give me time to do that. Just wake me up in a few hours.” She then yawned and stretched before getting up to find her bedroll and sprawl it out on an open patch of ground. “Will do,” the little elf responded with a smile, the glow dimming as she moved to sit next to Bishop.

Rona collected her own bedroll from the pack on her mare and rolled it out in a somewhat secluded spot, on the grassy knoll. She unbuttoned her dress from the back and pulled it over her head, leaving just her underdress on. She sat down and kicked her boots off and noticed Casavir walking by with his own bedroll and dressed down to his small clothes.

The two of them hadn’t had a chance to talk in private since their evening together in Windhelm and she doubted he wanted to talk much at all since her earlier outburst regarding Bishop. She was surprised when he stopped in front of her, scratching awkwardly at the back of his head. She looked up at him and noticed a tinge of blush rising up his neck. He looked like he wanted to say something and whatever it was, clearly was embarrassing for him. She was grateful that their night together hadn’t shied him away from her and was eager to get him talking so she smiled and giggled, “You look like you’re having a hard time there.”

He ran his hand from his hair down to his face and mumbled, “Er… a bit.”

She pat the ground next to her and said, “Well come sit with me and we’ll talk.”

When he moved his hand from his face, however, he seemed more collected and stern and said, “I... ,” he cleared his throat, “Unfortunately I don’t think that is a good idea, my lady. I should be blunt. What we did the other night… it cannot happen again.”

She looked at him shocked and feeling like her heart had just been ripped from her chest.

He carried on, looking grave, “What I did… it was wrong. It was wrong of me to do that with you - _to you_. To make you think that we could be anything more than friends or comrades in arms.”

Her mouth felt dry and she tried to speak but her throat was closing with emotion.

He looked away from her ashamed and said, “When we arrive in Riften, that is where we must part. I will return to my Order, confess my sins and take my punishment. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to you.”

She couldn’t hide it now as her tears streamed steadily on her cheeks and she choked out, “Is it… because of what I said before about Bishop?”

He turned his head sharply and stammered, “No of course not! No… it’s not that at all. I know how he is that - that _buffoon_. It’s no wonder you’ve seen him- er,” he put a hand to his mouth coughing again and said, “it has nothing to do with that, I assure you my lady. The truth is that I was inebriated and I made many, _many_ poor decisions at your expense and when I woke this morning I realized my mistakes and vowed I would never do it again.”

She pulled her knees up to her chest, cradling them in her arms and turned her face away from him. She felt awful… especially after admitting she was falling for him. But she knew she could never argue with him about it and she didn’t want to. She wanted to forget it ever happened at all and to make the burning shame and heartache disappear.

He looked on at her forlorn, his brows knit tightly together, “I hope you can forgive me Lady Rona,” and then he quickly swept by her, aiming for a lone spot around the pond, away from the others.

He heard her light sobs behind him and it made his heart twist in his chest. He felt horrible and cruel for doing such a thing to such a kind and innocent young woman, but knew it had to be done. He absolutely could not allow himself to get close to another woman again… not after…

Bishop stood by Eroeh as she continued to put their bedding together. He watched as Casavir disappeared in the darkness and glanced over at the little Altmer he’d left crying alone. His face curved into a scowl and he growled furiously, “That fucking coward.”

Eroeh couldn’t help but wilt at the sight of her friend. She knew just how deeply Rona had fallen for the Paladin, and that she’d been fearing the day this would happen from the start.

“Don’t worry Sweetness, he’ll come around. At least… if he’s half as smart as he likes to _act_ , he will,” Bishop scoffed, rubbing the back of the little Bosmer’s shoulder.

Turning back towards Bishop, Eroeh leaned her head into the crook of his neck and let out a tired sigh. “I know, but it still sucks that this is happening at all. You can tell he likes her just as much as she does him... I don’t know why he’s got to be such a chickenshit about it…” she griped, her head rising and falling with the pace of the ranger’s breathing.

“I should go talk to her…” she mused with a frown.

“No… something tells me you should probably just give her some space for now, Eroeh. Red doesn’t look like she’s too keen on talking to anyone right now.” Bishop argued softly, holding her in place when she made to move.

Looking back over, she could tell he was right, and stayed where she was, starting her shift for watch. Giving the ranger a soft kiss goodnight, she shooed him off to bed and got comfy at her post, knowing it’d be a long night.

Sonina remained quiet as she heard them talk. What could she even say? She and Kaidan had just met the group a few hours ago, and the two would probably be parting ways with them soon anyway. When everyone fell silent, she eventually managed to fall asleep, and Kaidan soon did the same.

After a few hours had gone by, Eroeh carefully woke Sonina before laying down for the night, settling in next to the ranger and drifting off to sleep. Sonina grumbled a few incoherent complaints when Eroeh woke her up, but she eventually forced herself onto her feet. After waking Kaidan up as well, they both headed off to keep watch as Eroeh went to bed.

After a long night of several in the group taking shifts to watch for bandits or predators, the group rose with the rising sun. Eroeh and Bishop kept themselves busy making a quick breakfast for everyone all while keeping an eye on the morose looking Altmer. Rona had kept her conversations with them short and seemed to withdraw while Casavir was nowhere to be found until Eroeh’s loud clanking of a metal spoon on a pan and her shouting woke the rest of the group, “BREAKFAST!”

Casavir appeared, seeming worse for wear, keeping his eyes averted from Rona the entire time while she did the same. Bishop and Eroeh both kept giving each other looks, almost speaking with their eyes but keeping their mouths shut while both Sonina and Kaidan seemed oblivious to the situation. They weren’t, by the way, but played the part. It was best that they didn’t interfere with whatever was going on between Rona and Casavir. When all was said and done, everyone quickly packed up their camp and set out again on horseback, first passing through Shor’s Stone and riding onward beyond Fort Greenwall.

The thick stench of murk and mud from the nearby lake hung heavily in the humid mid-Hearthfire air as they rode onward, the scent becoming more noticeable the closer to the city they got. The Rift as a whole was almost always warm, being one of the few places in Skyrim that the harsher cold winds of the north seldom reached. Situated in the far southeast, it was only a mountain range away from both the ashen wastelands of Morrowind, and the more mildly-weathered province of Cyrodiil.

Sonina and Kaidan kept to themselves for the majority of the ride unless they were spoken to. Occasionally, the former would make commentary or small jokes. She was clearly pretty taken aback by the Rift. Given what she’d been told of Skyrim, she never thought such a temperate place would exist in the icy north. Kaidan, on the other hand, had spent much more time in the broken province, and the comments and observations from his friend proved to be rather amusing. She was a pureblooded Nord who knew next to nothing about her homelands other than whatever embellished stories her father had produced.


End file.
